How to Train your Dragon Trainer
by lustless envy
Summary: Book one of a how to train your dragon and the harry potter world cross over. Amara's existence as the chief's daughter and only child is largely ignored. She doesn't have the fighting ability of her mother and she doesn't share her father's natural abilities with dragons either. How can she find a place where she belongs when she's the worst dragon trainer on on Berk?
1. An Unexpected Arrival

The skies were clear above the Archipelago that was home to Berk, but a storm was brewing. A few miles from the shoreline a dragon was circling the waters, hunting high and low, his sad cry echoed across the waves and met the rock pools where his hunted prize was laying. A black mess, soaked from head to toe, unconscious but luckily breathing after her salty dip during the early hours of the morning. The black of her robes kept her warm in the sun though her face was pale and the freezing water she was half-in counteracted the good it was doing. If it weren't for the family ring on her finger, glinting in the sun, she'd have been perfectly camouflaged, especially with the seaweed that was tangled around her and in her hair.

Up on the cliffs Amara sighed, rubbing the chin of the black dragon that was basking in the morning sun beside her, though watching her keenly. "You worry too much, Uncle Toothless. I'm just going down to the beach to try out my new fishing rod... I'll be fine. Dad's leg's been bothering him, he needs you more than I do. I can make it down the docks myself."

At her insistence the black dragon, Toothless, cooed, in a sweet way. Having known the dragon her whole life, she read into as him telling her to be careful, before it set off to find his partner. Amara proceeded to make her way down to the beach, her hair the same deep brown as her father, Chief Hiccup's, but having a body like her mother had at 15. She smiled, waving at the Villagers on her way, settling in once down at the beach to try to do some shore fishing and do what she could to help with Berk's food stores.

After managing to half-fill her fishing basket, Amara noticed the glint on some of the rocks on the beach and went over to inspect it. Finding a human, she gasped, abandoning her basket of fish for now and hurried over to the body. She shook the unconscious girl gently hoping they ok, while scanning the horizon for any ships, as well as the sky for hostile dragons, anything that might explain where the girl came from. "Hey...are you alright?"

The girl didn't stir but coughed up some sea water. The dragon that was out searching for her wasn't visible from the closer inspection it did look more like a dragon had lost their supper than a ship had lost a member of her crew, especially as ships still seldom took women for fear of bad luck. And this girl certainly seemed to have had her fair share of that.

Amara knew this girl had to get out of the water to survive, and pulled her up onto the beach, thumping her back to try to help get the sea water out. "Hang on, ok? I'll go get my dad... he's the chief, he'll know how we should help you, and he needs to know about unexpected arrivals." She told the person, then ran out, calling for her father and Toothless. Up in the middle of the village, the dragon in question paused, hearing the girl's calls. The first hint he gave to his rider was unfortunate in that it consisted of turning and flying towards the calls regardless of if his rider wanted him to or not. His rider was Amara's father. Chief Hiccup Haddock. And thanks to toothless, he was with his only child in a matter of moments.

On the beach the girl drifted in and out of consciousness. In the very brief seconds she was awake she 'saw' a shadow in a familiar shape block out the sun. "Beau..." she spluttered as she passed out again. Her accent told Hiccup enough to know she wasn't from these waters. She wasn't dressed like a viking or even a dragon hunter. She certainly was odd but hiccup guessed she was from some form of royalty given her black dress, the ring and her strange accent. He picked her up and placed her on Toothless' back. "Amara, go gather everyone to the great Hall." He instructed her before heading off with toothless to that very place. Knowing him, hiccup was already forming a plan A, B and possibly even a C too.

Amara nodded, doing as her Dad had instructed, talking to everyone, even sending Gothi's flight of Terrible Terrors to bring her from her hut, with the message tied to one's leg that the Chief needed her in the Great Hall. Soon the whole village was there, waiting to see why their Chief had called a meeting on such a massive scale.

By this time, Hiccup had brought the girl to his house, through the back door. Astrid had changed the girl out of her wet clothes and put her in some warm dry ones of Amara's that were usually reserved for bed during the winter. Hiccup, Stormfly and toothless had dragged a bed into the back room of the great Hall and then put the girl in it to try warm her up. Hiccup had then stood outside the doors, waiting for everyone to gather. "Now, I'm sure you're all really curious about why I asked you all here. Well... Amara found a girl on the beach." He announced. There was a lot of mumbling at this but he went on, "Now, she doesn't look like anyone we've come across before and she doesn't sound it either. What I'm asking of you all is a little time and patience. If she is a dragon hunter don't let on that you know of them, she could prove vital into finding out where they're all hiding out these days. If she isn't one of them then it's our duty to help her get home. Either way, she deserves to be cared for and brought back to full health." He said before looking at Amara with a slight nod, hinting that it was time to go in so everyone could see the alien girl.

Amara nodded, leading the way in, sitting kindly by the girl, knowing how daunting meeting everyone the first time was. She smiled at Toothless and Stormfly, her eyes quietly thanking them, even as her grandmother's dragon, the Stormcutter named Cloudjumper, joined them protectively.

The crowd continued to mutter until the girl started to wake up, her eyes flickering as she came around. As she opened her eyes fully they went silent, peering at her. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. "W-where am I?" She asked, her voice cracking but the accent clear enough to be obvious she wasn't local at all. "You turned up on the beach of Berk and we brought you to our great hall." Hiccup explained calmly and clearly. "Berk? The great Hall?" She repeated. "That's right." Hiccup said as she turned towards him. Now he'd spoken to her and she'd spoken back, she seemed a lot less scary and everyone was dying to ask her questions.

Amara nodded, "Yeah. It's a huge building where the community gathers at important times. I'm called Amara, daughter of Chief Hiccup the Wise and his wife, Astrid. I found you on the rocks on the Beach... do you remember anything before you got there, like who you are?" She asked softly. Astrid smiled, proud of her daughter's curiosity, though wishing Amara showed more of the fierce traits inherited from her side of the family. Regardless, the looks of the 3 Dragons over the girl kept most people quiet, since Amara had asked many of the questions they all had.

"I got caught up in a dragon fight and dumped into the ocean... I don't remember anything else." She said simply. "But you said... chief? Like American Indians...?" She asked slowly. This caused quite some confusion among the villagers and nervous whispers.

"Like what? We're Vikings... don't your villages and clans have Chiefs?" Amara asked softly, Toothless tilting his head at this girl, too. She smelt different.

"V - vikings?" She asked slowly. Her hands clenched at the covers that were keeping her warm. "That's right, but don't worry. Our dragon buddies won't hurt you unless you hurt us." Hiccup explained. "Speaking of hurt, you were in pretty bad shape and absolutely frozen. I'll be surprised if you don't get cold of the lungs." He added. The girl assumed he meant pneumonia. "I think I'll be alright. Thank you for taking care of me." She said.

Amara smiled. "Still, you're a guest here on Berk until we can find out how to get you home..." She turned to her father. "Dad, since you had our place renovated recently, should I set up the guest room for her?"

"That's very kind, Amara. Make sure there's plenty of warm blankets." He said, smiling at her. "I think it's best to let her rest a bit for now, but please do what you can to help. Anything from remedies to fight the fever she has, nutritional food to get her back to full health or spare clothes she can borrow, everything will be greatly appreciated." He said, dismissing the crowd.

Amara nodded happily and put her catch, which she'd retrieved and taken with her to get the village together, in the food storage after cleaned the fish properly She then put them with the other fish being salt-treated before setting up the guest bedroom with several nice, warm blankets and gathered other ingredients from the food storage to make dinner with. At her request, Toothless helped her get their guest to the guest room and lit the fire, where Amara started on cooking dinner for everyone, getting roast chicken for Stormfly and a batch of fresh fish for Toothless' dinner as well as the nutritious meal for herself, their guest and her parents. She was glad she was a better cook than her mother at any rate.

The girl drifted off to sleep again as Hiccup and Astrid left her alone to get on with their own things.

Amara smiled, enjoying the quiet. The other dragons belonging to the rest of the Riders peeked in from time to time, but mostly left Amara alone. She took the meal to rest on a hot stone when it was ready and went to get their guest, having asked Toothless and Stormfly to get her parents for dinner. Smelling the meal, Cloudjumper, having already eaten himself, brought Valka to share in the meal as well. Amara was glad she was used to cooking for the whole family. "Hey... can you move at all? It's time for dinner... and you never told us your name."She said to their guest, gently shaking her shoulder.

She slowly woke up and turned towards her, "My legs feel like jelly..." she uttered, yawning and sitting up.

"You can lean on me, if you'd like." Amara said with a soft smile, offering their guest a hand up.

"Erm... no thanks. I'll be ok on my own." the girl said, sliding her legs out of the bed and gingerly putting her feet on the floor.

"Ok, if you're sure. You were asleep when Toothless carried you up... steps are a bit steep, so be careful, ok? You never told us your name... when the house is full, being able to say your name would be helpful... it's better than saying 'hey you' after all." She said kindly.

"It... it's... anna... Roxanna White." She said slowly as though having thought hard about it. "You're Amara, right? That guy... Hiccup I think, said it before." She said slowly as she brought herself to her feet. It seemed as though she'd no interest in the slippers that were inches away from her feet as she slowly took a few steps forward, putting her hand forward to steady herself against the wall.

"Yeah, that's right... aren't your feet cold? I brought you my spare pair of winter slippers." She said softly.

"Oh, thanks but I'm ok..." Roxanna said slowly. "I'll be down in a few so you can go on ahead." She insisted.

"Alright, Anna... just try not to take too long. I made a nutritious stew for dinner, and we want to eat it while it's warm... regular winter is a week away, with dreadful freezing winter coming in a few more weeks, so hot meals are the norm here." Amara told her before heading down to wait for her, as well as for her own parents.


	2. One for All

Everyone was soon gathered at the table but their guest was missing. "Might as well start without her..." Hiccup said after a while but a few moments later the door was burst open by Fishlegs who looked quite distressed. "Hiccup! You, you haven't seen Meatlug have you?" He panted out of breath. "No, how do you loose a dragon?" He asked a little confused. "She's gone! I've checked everywhere but nothing! Nobody has seen her!" He said looking increasingly panicked. "Now, just calm down. We'll find her." Hiccup soothed as he got up from the table and went to get his boot.

Amara got up, knowing from the Urgency that the dragons would be needed, working on getting Toothless and Stormfly's saddles settled and securely fastened. After that was done, she went up and checked the guest room before coming downstairs again. "The Guest room's dragon flight window was closed before, Dad...but now it's open, and our guest is gone, too. She told me when I went to wake her that her name was Roxanna." She said, noticing everyone set to head out by now.

"Right, Amara you're riding with me." Hiccup decided. "But how'd she take Meatlug? She's so loyal and I thought others couldn't ride others dragons?" Fishlegs asked, hurrying behind Astrid. "Maybe she's figured out a way? Maybe she took her? Who knows? But we have to find them, there's a storm due tonight, the clouds are darkening already." Hiccup said once outside, getting on Toothless and waiting for the others.

Amara nodded, getting on Toothless with her father, holding his shoulders, knowing just how fast Toothless was. Fishlegs nodded, getting on Stormfly with Astrid at her insistence. As soon as everyone was settled, they set out to search for Roxanna and Meatlug, even as the storm moved angrily through the sky over Berk.

The girl wasn't too far from the shore. She was sat atop Meatlug and directing her as they flew. There was no resistance from the dragon at all which confused with Vikings as they edged closer. Then the rain hit. Hard. Hiccup was trying to edge toothless on, to break away from the others when a great glob on something the colour of honey narrowly missed them. "...Deathsong!" They could just hear Fishlegs shout. Looking up they realised he was right. The beautiful dragon spat another amber blob at toothless, who just dodged, and then dived at Stormfly. It turned, fired another shot and kept up its relentless attack. Its behaviour seemed to make no sense but, given that he had valuable cargo on board, hiccup turned back to the village. Stormfly followed suit and, surprisingly, so did Meatlug. The dragons landed on the beach and took shelter under a rocky outcrop. Hiccup waited for the girl to stop before hurrying out to her. Meatlug wagged her stumpy tail at seeing Fishlegs but walked calmly besides Roxanna as they headed towards the others. "What were you thinking?!" Hiccup demanded. "I was looking for my friend." She explained angrily as they stepped into the dray area. "There was nobody with you! What friend?!" He demanded. "Beau Bane. I lost him in the storm." She said, patting Meatlug's head gently. "You should have asked someone! We could have helped you... anyway, how did you manage to ride Meatlug?" He asked, curiosity quenching his frustration. "How do you ride any dragon? I just got on and asked nicely." She said, a bit confused herself now though she fussed over Meatlug for her obedience.

"Normally, dragons won't let anyone on unless they show trust... we train dragons here... my Dad is known as Hiccup the Wise because he was the first to find the wisdom in the discovery that everything we previously 'knew' about dragons was wrong... through bonding with Toothless... first thing Toothless taught him was to never look directly at a dragon and offer them your hand while looking away, to show you gave them your trust, and invite them to trust you..." Amara said, showing Roxanna by doing that same thing her father had with Toothless during that day so long ago for him, and Toothless pressed his nose to Amara's hand. "Once they trust you, they often let you ride them, but not always... their first instinct is to protect... Uncle Toothless can get overprotective sometimes." She said softly, causing the Alpha-ranked Titan Wing Night Fury to huff and shuffle his wings... before growling with his eyes to the sky, his roar seemingly surrounded by a purple cone as he attempted to find the attacking Deathsong with his power to see through echoes.

But by now the deathsong was now long gone. "Yeah, thanks for your insight... though isn't it a bit backwards giving me tips when I can do it but you guys can't?" She asked, tapping Toothless's shoulder and putting a finger to her lips. "But, seriously, thanks so much for your help." She added sarcastically. "If we hadn't got to you when we did then you'd have been deathsong food!" Fishlegs snapped. "Look, ok, I don't know what a 'deathsong' is. But you did a great job on scaring away my Scottish castle keeper! He comes when I whistle and I was looking for him. I'd heard him sing back when you all showed up and scared him off." She snapped back angrily.

"We don't know what a 'Scottish castle keeper' is... we just know a Deathsong as a dangerous dragon that actually eats... other dragons. It sings to lure them in, then traps them in shots of a sticky, fast-hardening substance that seems like ancient, hardened tree sap... and chooses a victim each day to eat." Amara said, offering a confused explanation. Hiccup and Fishlegs nodded, relating their time having to escape from one out by an island they called 'Dragon's Edge.

"Well, whatever, all I know it that you scared him off. He's probably scared and lonely without me." She sighed. "He's never left my side." She added as toothless tried to comfort her. "I was going to say that we'd have helped you look for him but given the different names, we probably wouldn't have understood you. But, it seems you're quite talented at riding so, how about this: if you teach Amara to ride then we'll keep looking for your dragon...?" Hiccup offered. "Beau Bane. He also answers to Beau or Bane." She said. "What do you think Amara?" Hiccup asked her.

"It's worth a shot. I know that the dragons trust me... but I don't get why they won't let me ride... maybe with her help, we'll have better luck." Amara said, willing to accept help. "Maybe if we can get me able to ride other dragons, I'll be less of a misfit... one of the only villagers period who doesn't have their own dragon."

"If you'd picked just one egg to raise then maybe things would be different." Hiccup told her firmly. "Besides, it's not like you're an isolated case. I've not been able to ride any tame dragon other than toothless for a decade now at least. She got on meatlug with no problems and at their first meeting." He added. "Fine. I'll try but you have to promise to get me as soon as you get sight of him ok?" She asked.

Hiccup nodded. "We promise, we'll come get you when we see him. Let's try to get a meal in... maybe after your lesson tomorrow, Amara can show you around the island outside of the village." He said with a smile, and Amara nodded. "I'd be glad to do that, Dad... we'll probably have to reheat dinner now, though."

'I didn't ask or want them to follow me so it's not my fault.' Roxanna thought to herself as the group started making their back. She let Astrid fuss over getting her dry and getting her dry clothes once they got back while Amara and hiccup sorted out the dinner again. This time their guest joined them. Hiccup asked a lot of questions as did Astrid, about other dragons and where she was from. She didn't give much away but imitated the deathsong's call perfectly which give hiccup enough reason to believe that the deathsong they had seen was indeed hers. She also taught hiccup the whistle and explained that, while he'll come when he hears it, he will either attack or flee once he sees it isn't her making the call. If they could trap him without harming him until she got there then that would probably be best.

"Well, best way to do that would probably be to lure him with that whistle to the academy, and then send one of our dragons to get you." Hiccup said softly. "Do you know about Dragon Nip? It's an herb that dragons love and that calms them... we used to use it a lot in taming dragons. We try our best not to harm dragons... we haven't attacked dragons out of anything but self defence in decades."

"I've never heard of it even though I'm getting top grades in herbiology... but he loves lavender. Though, I dare say, you probably have a lot of different names for things here." Roxanna mused.

"Yeah... winter hasn't yet touched the meadow where dragon nip grows... I can show you after lessons tomorrow, Roxanna." Amara said with a smile. "There's another related species we try to keep dragons away from, though... we call it Dragon Root, and it has the opposite effect on dragons from Dragon Nip... dragons love it... but they get in full-blown aggressive battles over it... only Gronckles, like Meatlug, are immune to that effect."

"Meatlug? So that's her name. She is very sweet and caring. We have a similar breed back home called the Welsh green, who sleep for years and are often mistaken for hills. All the dragons I've heard of back home are huge and vicious. They all eat meat, especially humans, cows and pigs. I think the Welsh dragon is the only one to eat vegetables." Roxanna said.

"Most dragons around here eat various fish, or cooked meat from sheep or poultry... very few dragons will eat eels... they actually fear them. Something in an eel's blood makes dragons VERY sick, making them contract an illness we call 'Eel fever'. They sneeze unlimited shots of their fire or other offence, and have trouble recognizing their rider... we had an outbreak among humans one devastatingly cold winter, and the only ones not sick were me, Fishlegs and Astrid, and the dragons... we helped get the ingredients for the cure, but Toothless swallowed one of the blood eels and caught it himself... we had to mix up a single dose of the other cure ingredients to cure him... and he was able to spit out the half-digested eel that made him sick." Hiccup told Roxanna. "One of the only species we know of who don't fear eels, and actively eat them, was discovered by us when we were barely older than Amara... we call it a Typhoomerang."

"I'm not surprised. Dragons seem to be incapable of throwing up because the fire within is kept so close to the stomach. When they produce flame, they close the opening to the stomach. Opening the other part causes the flames to chase after the oxygen. They can close the part to the stomach but not the other side. The medicine you're talking about probably blocks the flames passage temporary so they can throw up." She replied. "Besides, Eels are disgusting so I'm not surprised they don't eat them regardless of getting sick." She added.

"That's the thing, Typhoomerangs actually prefer to eat Eels... and can do so without getting sick. Normally, dragons have a set number of times they can shoot their flame a day... for many species, it's 6, but some can shoot up to 10 times. Another strange eating dragon is actually the Gronckle... instead of eating fish or meat... they eat rocks."

"Like I said, most dragons. But all I've known are our native dragons at home." Roxanna said.

They nodded and soon finished dinner. They then stood up and Hiccup smiled. "Well, we start the day early... but that means everyone should go to bed early too."

"Do you need help clearing up?" Roxanna asked as she got up from the table.

"Could do. We wash the dishes every evening... we can't buy more until Trader Johann comes in his trading ship."Amara said.

"Sure. Show me the sink and I'll get straight to it." Roxanna said.

Amara nodded, helping gather the dishes and showing Roxanna to the sink. "Toothless? Would you mind heating the water to wash the dishes clean, please?" Toothless cooed, shooting a focused stream of his fire until the water was hot enough to steam, then heading to bed as the girls worked on cleaning the dishes.

Roxanna let Amara wash and she dried up as things were passed to her, placing them on the counter in a neat stack. She'd done enough washing and drying back home to know how to do it.

With them alone now, Amara spoke quietly, having noticed something about Roxanna's eyes. In the starlight, they looked to be black with white specks in them, but in the firelight, they had a dull orange glow, and she asked her about it, her tone conveying pure curiosity, having never seen such a phenomenon before.

"Just curious and you don't have to answer if you don't want to but... well... what colour are your eyes anyway? I've never seen anything like them. They seem to change colour depending on where you are." Amara said quickly and softly, hoping her new friend wouldn't get offended.

"Well... that's probably because I'm blind. I was cursed as a baby and nobody really knows how to reverse it. I mean, I see like, shadows and wispy ghosts but otherwise nothing." She said, drying a plate.

Amara nodded, trying to avoid staring now she knew. She handing Roxanna the last bowl and carrying the wash tub to dump out down the cliff behind the house. "I could help you around until you learn were all the stairs are in the house and village, if you'd like."

"It's fine. Nobody has ever catered to my 'needs' so no point starting now. I keep forgetting people can see to be honest. But once Bane is back it'll be easier. He's always been like a guide dog, er, dragon. Up until last month when he had a growth spurt and couldn't sneak inside." Roxanna said. "Thanks for the offer. But if you ever come across a counter spell, let me know, ok?" She smiled. It was a weak smile and easy to tell that doing so in public was a rarity.

"Yeah, no problem... anything you could tell us about his colours might be helpful... individual dragons within a species can vary quite a bit in markings. I'm actually curious as to what you might call the dragons we know back where you come from... would you be able to tell if you were able to 'see' their form through touch?"Amara asked. When it came to dragons she was full of curious interest.

"Breeds vary depending on where they live. The knight's wrath is a nocturnal dragon that migrates a lot so they're all black, quite small and endangered because no more than seven have been seen in the wild over a twenty year period. I couldn't tell you what colour Bane is, unfortunately. By the time I got him I was already blind. But I think someone mentioned red and possibly black? I'm not sure. I'd know him if I heard him. He tweets like a bird when he wants attention and coos a sort of purr when he's happy." She replied. "I probably don't know a lot of your dragons because they're not native to my home but we could try."

"The 'knight's wrath' sounds a lot like Toothless... he's a Night Fury..." She smiled as her Mother's dragon came in, nudging Amara with her nose. "We'll go to bed soon, Stormfly. For now... can you do us a favour? Roxanna can't see with her eyes... will you let her see you with her hands?" The dragon let out a cute sort of chirping growl, and stood still. Amara showed Roxanna over. "This is my mother's dragon, Stormfly. We call her breed a Deadly Nadder." She said, standing back to let Roxanna familiarise herself with the dragon's form by touch.

"Feels like a spiked quill finch. Finch try to copy the sounds other birds make to lure them into a false sense of security before roasting them." She said, finding a tickle spot under stormfly's chin. "Yeah, definitely a finch with that beak." She said.

"One thing Nadders do for self defence is actually shoot spines from their tail, and they have some of the hottest burning flames... 6 burning magnesium shots." Amara said proudly as she patted her mother's dragon.

"I've heard about the finch doing that but obviously never seen it first hand." Roxanna replied.

Amara giggled. "You should see it when another rider, named Snotlout, talks back to Mum... it's so funny, Stormfly pins him up against walls with her spines in his clothes." She said with a giggle, kissing Stormfly goodnight and showing Roxanna up to bed. "Careful, stairs start here."

"Yeah, thanks. Sorry again for causing so much trouble earlier. I just thought that if I could find Bane then I wouldn't have to be a bother." Roxanna said as she climbed the stairs. From a young age she'd learned to walk up by trailing her toes against the vertical part of the step to find the next horizontal footing.

"It wouldn't be a bother... we treasure guests and friends on Berk. We're a very helpful people... we make our living honestly, not pillaging like the Outcasts or the Berserkers. We grow food, raise sheep and animals, and fish, and our extra produce gets sold to merchant ships that go to the mainland, and then we can buy speciality items from Trader Johann. Dad's especially fond of the ink he sells... when he's not busy with his duties as chief, he likes to draw maps and log his encounters with new dragons in our dragon cultural book, unoriginally called the Book of Dragons. But Trader Johann doesn't have the ink very often, so he usually has to use charcoal." She explained. "Sleep well... looks like Toothless decided to bed down in your room tonight. We have a sleeping platform for him in every room of the house, and he picks where he wants to sleep."

"I see. Good night." Roxanna replied, going into the room and getting ready for bed before settling down for the night, being careful not to disturb the sleeping Night Fury.


	3. First Flight

The next morning Amara was up bright and early, having gone and grabbed some food to fix for her family's breakfast.

Roxanna had slept in, mostly due to still recovering from her dip in the freezing sea around Berk. She'd woken up a lot that night but finally found comfort when toothless had nuzzled her hand, sensing her unease.

Amara went up and found Toothless snuggled up to Roxanna, his wing over her and his head against her hand. "She have trouble sleeping last night? What a good host you are, Toothless." She said, giving him a couple fresh salmon for breakfast. "No need to share the heads, though." she added before leaving the room. The dragon cooed, eating his breakfast and then started licking Roxanna's face, doing his best to be careful with his tail as it wagged while he waited for her to get up.

Roxanna slowly woke up. She yawned and rolled over trying to remember her dream from that night and wondering if there was time for breakfast before class. Then she smelt the fishy smell from toothless licking her face and everything from yesterday came rushing back. With a sigh, she got up and sorted herself out as best she could before slowly going downstairs.

"Toothless has taken a shine to you, too...he doesn't usually cover anyone but me or dad with his wing when they're having trouble sleeping." Amara said, greeting her parents and tossing Stormfly a roast chicken, which the Nadder ate in one bite. "Time for breakfast, though...we usually start lessons and work for the day right afterwards." She said softly. Hiccup laughed at how Toothless was nudging at Roxanna's hair playfully. "Made a new friend, bud?" He asked the dragon, who cooed softly.

"That sounds like a plan to me. He's a sweet dragon and easy to get along with." Roxanna said, rubbing toothless's nose.

"Yeah, he really is... he's my best friend." Hiccup said with a smile. "He has one trait that no other species of dragon has, Roxanna... retractable teeth. Unless he's eating, or roaring in a protective display, his teeth stay hidden within his gums." he explained, as that was something everyone who met him had been fascinated with.

"I see. I don't mind teeth or fishy breath in the morning." She said, still fussing over toothless.

Hiccup smiled softly, glad to see Toothless relating to someone outside the family. "Do you wanna help them today, Bud?" He asked the dragon, who tilted his head, then looked at Roxanna with a curious coo.

"It'd be greatly appreciated." She smiled sweetly. "Could we possibly borrow another dragon too? It'd make showing her easier. Then she won't have to get on and off all the time." She asked.

"Sure thing. I'll take you two out while Hiccup makes a new stirrup for Toothless' saddle to help with his prosthetic tail wing." Astrid said. "We'll find someone to let you borrow their dragon for lessons."

"Thanks. I really appreciate it." Roxanna said as they followed her outside. The sun was shining innocently as though the storm last night never happened. The villagers went about their business but glanced at the strange girl who'd caused so much trouble as they passed.

There was suddenly a scream of pain and frustration. "Hookfang! What's wrong with you!?" the male voice called out, before yelling about hot, and a sizzling splash and sigh of relief. Astrid led the way to find the Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang, standing over his rider, Snotlout, with the latter in a sheep trough with smoke rising from them. Astrid crossed her arms. "How did you upset your dragon this time, Snotlout?"

"Are you sure this one is suitable? He sounds a bit unhappy." Roxanna said.

"Hookfang has a temper problem that Snotlout likes to agitate." Astrid replied, as said person huffed, stating that he could use a break from the 'stubborn, bull-headed dragon'. When Astrid called his name, the dragon came over, looking at the new girl curiously. Amara greeted Hookfang, and told him softly about Roxanna's predicament, so only the Dragon would hear. He hunkered as close to the ground as he could to let Roxanna 'see' him with her hands.

"Hey there boy, aren't you..." she stopped mid sentence, her eyes widening. "This...?! You're trying to tame this?!" She exclaimed, backing away from hookfang slowly.

"What do you mean? He's just a Monstrous Nightmare. They're Stoker Class, but not exceptionally rare or dangerous as far as dragons go, unless you tick them off. Their body flames up when they're really mad, or in pain." Amara was curious as to why Roxanna was scared. "He was the 2nd dragon ever trained, and unless Snotlout angers him, he's usually as sweet as Toothless. When he's not being ridden, he spends his time scaring fish into our fishing fleets nets... then we release the juveniles and preserve the adults."

"A what? All I know is he is a Hungarian Horntail. They're considered to be the most dangerous dragons in the world. Its flame can reach over 50 feet. Their favourite food include cattle, sheep, goats, and whenever possible, humans." She uttered.

"He's what we call a Monstrous Nightmare. He will eat mutton if offered, but he prefers cod." Snotlout said firmly from his seat in the water trough, a bit annoyed anyone would think anything bad about Hookfang. "He just lights himself on fire when he's mad."

"...but... he..." Roxanna stammered and shook her head, "must still be immature."she uttered.

Hookfang let out a low sound, half-way between a growl and a purr.

Roxanna pouted, not happy with the situation but slowly walked back over to him, not willing to let these Vikings see her being weak. "Fine... if he really isn't going to... misbehave, then we'll be glad to have his help."

"Nah, I was just picking on him for his fish breath." Snotlout said. "Too much time together gets on each other's nerves." Hookfang blew a few sparks at Snotlout before lowering his neck to let Roxanna on.

"Perhaps next time feed him mints to get rid of the smell." Roxanna said, getting on slowly.

"Yeah, I'll see if I can buy a tub for use next time Johann makes it to port." Snotlout said. But good luck riding him. Hookfang only listens to me. Not even Hiccup can ride him now." he snorted but stopped laughing as Hookfang settled down and waited for her instructions like he'd been bred for the show ring. Calm and submissive... this wasn't a Hookfang Snotlout was used to seeing. He suddenly decided he felt ill and needed to take in some sea air to clear his head so turned and started heading down to the docks to start work on patching the fishing boats from the last encounter with a wild Scaldron.

"Amara, can you lead us to a quiet field? It'll be easier with less distractions." Roxanna asked, unaware of the impression she'd made on Snotlout.

Amara nodded, getting on with Toothless' newly retooled saddle. Hiccup sighed. "Bud... please. Just help them." Toothless sighed, grumbling but agreeing to try before Amara whispered to him to take them to the cove, doing her best to help the dragon in flight during the glide down when they reached the ledge though the landing was noticeably bumpy and Toothless grumbled irritably. "Here... this is the cove, Roxanna... it's where Dad and Toothless first became friends."

"Ok. To start with, pretend you don't know him. In fact, pretend you're nothing. Not even there. You're wearing a cloak of invisibility. Close your eyes and just feel." Roxanna said.

"Wearing a... what?" Amara asked, getting down from Toothless. "It'd be tough to pretend I don't know him... earliest memories I have are of him watching over me, or playing with me, mum, and Dad... but I'll do my best."

"Then get on hookfang if you can't manage it. He knows himself. He knows you. Putting emotions and memories into the mix only makes you emotional even if you can't tell." She reasoned."But if you're not willing to try then I don't know why I'm wasting my time." she added.

"Sorry! I'll do my best... I-I just didn't know what you were telling me to imagine I was wearing." She said softly, looking at Roxanna as she quickly hopped back on Toothless.

"It's a cloak that makes you invisible. Its quite rare so I'm not surprised you've not heard of it. But just pretend you aren't there." She said, now assuming that these Vikings, despite being in contact with dragons, they were certainly muggles. And this brought on more questions about what they'd do if they knew what she was.

Amara nodded, closing her eyes to meditate as she'd been taught during her 'primary' schooling with Gothi, who had handled all spiritual education.

Roxanna sat and waited. As Amara relaxed toothless seemed to become lighter under her. "There is no Amara. There is no toothless. You're a passenger and he is in charge." Roxanna spoke softly to try help the atmosphere.

Amara fell deeper into meditation, seeming to FEEL everything as energy around her, a state she hadn't felt before. She felt the dragon move his tail wing, and her foot moved to shift the prosthetic one to match it unconsciously.

Slowly she started to feel in tune with his body and as this happened she felt him move beneath her until she felt his wings spread as he took off. "You can open your eyes but don't move a muscle, and by that I mean literally. Don't tighten any, stay loose and relaxed." Roxanna told her. For now, toothless was flying a little bit behind but more or less besides hookfang, following Roxanna's lead. Hookfang was like an entirely different dragon, acting like the perfect teacher's pet, as Roxanna was focusing on guiding Toothless with simple hand movements, using her legs to guide hookfang alone.

Amara nodded, staying in tune with Toothless' movements, only part of her ever moving being her foot as Toothless indicated he needed it. It was incredible. Hookfang looked so relaxed, unlike when Snotlout rode him.

Toothless seemed a little bit irritated when she opened her eyes but otherwise he carried on flying for Roxanna. "Once we land I'll talk about movements." She explained as they flew higher.

Amara showed her understanding with her eyes as she focused on just helping Toothless to the best of her ability.

Roxanna brought them back down to ground. "ok, now you've got a feel of it you need to practice. Just be his passenger as he goes about. You can learn a lot by the way they move." She said.

"The way Dad tells it... that's how he and Toothless first learned to fly together... learning what Toothless needed by how he moved on their first flight." Amara said softly, blinking at a sound she had only heard once before, but would be familiar to Roxanna, in the distance.

"That's my whistle." Roxanna said, turning her head to the sky. "I hope he's ok..." she uttered.

Two dragons came flying in: Stormfly and a Terrible Terror. "It's an Airmail from Mum and Dad..." Amara said. "They say they've got a Red and Black Deathsong closed in the Academy!" She gasped, rubbing Toothless. "Can you help us get to the Academy, Toothless?" The dragon cooed, waiting for Amara to get on. "Dad said in the note to get there asap... apparently, the dragon started firing shots at the gate that could trap it forever if we don't get there soon."

"It'll be fine... everything will be fine. Don't panic or you'll have to walk." She said, climbing onto hookfang. "Ok boy, lend me your speed." She whispered before clicking her tongue and giving hookfang the queue to go. He really was like an entirely different dragon with Roxanna on his back. Toothless wasn't impressed following rather than leading but only grumbled about it to himself as they flew towards the academy. He knew he'd only be able to match Hookfang with Hiccup on his back and even then, with how the other dragon was flying, he'd only be able to do it over a longer distance.

"I'm new at this... I'll do my best to learn to be better, Toothless." Amara promised the dragon as they flew in and down to the academy. Once there, it was clear the problem as the Deathsong continued to shoot the gate, trapping itself further.

Roxanna landed and jumped off hookfang, instantly whistling the same turn she'd taught hiccup. The dragon instantly stopped and started whistling back. "Bane, stop being silly and let me in." She said from behind the gate, her hands on her hips. Bane stopped and sat down, watching her silently.

At it's relaxation, the amber substance turned liquid again, allowing them to raise the gate. Amara stood with her parents and their dragons as Roxanna went in, everyone nervously watching.

Roxanna walked calmly over to bane. "So, calmed down now?" She asked as the 'dangerous' dragon watched her closely. He breathed smoke from his nose and seemed to growl as she got closer. But once she put her hand up he pushed his face into her palm, purring like a cat, until he pushed her over and licked her face. "Ok beau, ok, enough." She told him, making him back up. "Bane, these guys are friends. Not food." She said, though the latter part was more for the human benefits than bane's as he didn't eat dragons or humans, just whatever Roxanna gave him.

The majority of the Berkians looked on nervously, but Amara stepped forward shyly, asking Roxanna if it'd be ok if she formally met him... something Hiccup was inwardly proud of her for. 'Maybe if she can make at least friends with this new dragon, she can find her own...' he hoped, though knew he'd have to outwardly scold her for this reckless behaviourlater.

"Bane? Be nice." Roxanna said, stepping aside. Bane sat and watched her, his head tilting left and right as he hissed and clicked with his tongue. "Close your eyes. Remember?" Roxanna told her, meaning their lesson. "There's a lot of emotions in our eyes that can be scary to a new friend."

Amara nodded, remembering the lesson and closing her eyes, relaxing as she held her hand out as she'd been taught, showing Bane the same trust and offer of friendship one would give any dragon, as well as respect.

Bane pressed his muzzle against her hand, making a mixture of chirping and purring noises. His tongue soon started licking between her fingers. "There you go, a friend for life."Roxanna said confidently.

Amara smiled, and Hiccup let out a sigh of relief. "Seems we had nothing to worry about after all... come down to the town centre later, Roxanna... we'll see about crafting you a custom saddle for Bane."

"Ok. Anybody else want to pet him? His wings are really velvety and he loves belly rubs." Roxanna was quick to offer everyone, intent on proving he wasn't dangerous.

After the children got permission from their parents, who were now free to go back to work, they all formed a line to meet the new dragon.

Bane turned out to be a natural with kids. A great big goofy smile on his face and tongue lolling out like a dog. He was soon rolling onto his back and wriggling happily as eager little hands reached for a spot to rub. Roxanna stood back, just smiling. She didn't need to see to hear how happy he was.

Amara smiled softly. "Do you want to go visit Dragon Nip Valley now?"

"Maybe in a second when he's had enough. I don't want us to meet more amber blobs and put up with a big crying baby again." She said.

Amara nodded, smiling and waiting patiently.

Roxanna slowly starting making her way back to Amara at the entrance and, seeing that his rider was leaving, Bane got up and followed, purring as he passed the kids until he was at Roxanna's side. Then he stooped his head so she could touch it and together they left the enclosure.

Amara smiled, happy to walk alongside them, showing the way to a valley meadow, filled with a tall, grass-like herb. She picked a handful of it and handed it to Roxanna. "This is Dragon Nip. This valley is a meadow full of it"

"Oh I see." She said, taking the hers and sniffing them. "They remind me of something, I just can't think what." She said, offering one to Bane which he was only too happy to take.

Amara smiled. "A lot of times, when dragons get sick from things other than eating eels, dragon nip is the only way to calm them enough to be treated...especially when they get cavities."

"Sounds like a really useful thing to have about." Roxanna said.

Yeah...the other day, Gobber was complaining about having run out and having to knock out his patients the old fashioned way to deal with cavities. Let's gather some to bring back. A couple armfuls, once dry, should last until the thaw." Amara said with a grin, starting to pick from the tallest growth, but leaving the roots so the herb could grow back.

"Makes sense. Want me to carry any?" Roxanna asked.

"If you could carry one of the armfuls, that'd be a huge help... then it could all be delivered in one trip."

"Sure, just pass it over." She said, holding her hands out.

Amara nodded, smiling and passing the herbs over until Roxanna's arms were full, then picking her own armful. "We just have to take it to Gobber's shop... it's a combination Dentistry and Saddlery." She told her with a smile as they started walking back.

Roxanna just followed her lead, listening to Amara's walk and letting bane guide her with his head or tail.

Amara smiled, glad to have a helping hand, as this was something she had had to do before alone. It was a bit after mid-day when they arrived. "Just place it on the counter, alright, Roxanna?" She said as she did the same. "I'll ring the bell for him once we're set here."

"Sure." She replied, doing as asked.

Amara smiled, ringing the bell over the counter. "Gobber! Dragon Nip Delivery!" An old man with a hammer for an arm and a peg leg, with a metal tooth and an an impressive moustache. "Aye, I've been needing more... an boy oh boy! How'd you get so much in one trip, lassie?" He asked in shock as he had his new young apprentice help him bundle it all up to hang and dry. Amara smiled. "Roxanna helped me carry it all, Gobber. She needs a saddle for her Deathsong, as well." Gobber went and changed his hammer hand for a role of measure-marked tape, knowing he needed to measure the dragon's size around to make sure it was custom fitted. "Did you have any kinds of features in mind, Roxanna? Shields, decoration, custom steering, or the like, lass?"

"Erm, no. Not really. The best saddles for horses are simple. As long as bane is comfortable then I don't mind. Though maybe a few saddle bags would be useful if you could manage it?" She asked.

Gobber nodded as he listened, measuring the area the saddle would have to cover, and noting where the fastenings would have to go so as not to impede Bane's wings. "Alright, Lass. Swing by when you're ready to head out in the morning, I'll have yer saddle ready for you then."

"Thank you so much for your work... is there anything I can do to repay you?" She asked.

"Just take care of yourself and your dragon." He said with a smile, before turning to the massive lump of a dragon inside. "Grump! Get the forge going, we have a saddle frame to forge!" The Hotburple grumbled, chin-crawling to the forge and shooting a molten ball of fire into it to get it going, being as careful as he could, but still setting the walls of the forge on fire, which were patted out by Gobber before he got to work on the saddle frame, cutting the leather as well. Amara smiled. "So... shall we get a meal for Bane as well as work on getting some food to make for tonight's meal?"

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that, right boy?" Roxanna asked bane. The deathsong hissed and wagged his tail happily. "Bane loves anything to do with food." She smiled.

Amara smiled, passing her friend a basket from the pile by the food storage when they got there. "Have Bane wait for you outside... then you fill the basket with food for him... that'll end up basically being his own feeding basket, though we do have self-serve dragon feeding stations, and even spacious stables for those dragons who are nesting... they usually nest around Snoggletog, but we haven't had any nesting dragons in a few years." She said softly.

"I see. I don't know how long we'll be here for though I appreciate how accommodating you all are. We both do." Roxanna said, taking the basket while wondering what a snoggletog was when it was at home? She kept the questions to herself though.

Amara smiled. "You do know you can ask about anything you don't understand, right?" She asked their guest as she looked through food storage. "Hmm... chicken, Pork or Mutton tonight, what do you think?"

"Mmm... maybe mutton tomorrow, it's better slow roasted. So maybe pork or chicken?" Roxanna suggested. She'd heard Amara's offer but choose to ignore it as she still wasn't 100% sure where she stood.

Amara nodded. "Yeah, true." She said grabbing enough cuts of pork to cook up for everyone to have one of them, as well as some fixings for a dish of greens for the meat to rest on and flavour. "There we go... you all set with Bane's dinner?" She said, grabbing a chicken for Stormfly and filling Toothless' basket with fish as well, the meat and vegetables in bags.

"Yeah... he mostly likes vegetables. If he eats too much meat it makes his amber solid and sometimes he becomes ill when he can't spit it out because of it. Then he has to gulp down loads of hay to stoke his fire and it melts the amber." Roxanna replied, her basket laden with carrots, peas, parsnips and some lettuce heads as well as a few small oily fish and some off cuts of pork.

"Huh... do you think that's why wild ones tend to trap Stoker-class dragons more? For the special kind of oil they produce? Dad said the only way they could escape before was with Monstrous Nightmare gel... it and normal dragon flame was enough to melt the shots they got stuck in, according to dad." Amara asked.

"Possibly. It sounds like a terrible trap to fall into. The more meat they eat, the more quickly their amber will set so the more need to hunt. I expect that the dragons internal inferno would ease the amber too." Roxanna mused.

"Yeah, likely." Amara said. "Oh! Dad collects books, and has said before I can read them when I like... Dad actually first earned fame by securing peace with the dragons by killing one with the help of Toothless that we called the 'Red Death'. Dad drew a picture of it from memory a while back, and the imprint is on the back of the page... I'm just curious if you know about any other name for it. It's absolutely massive: large enough to completely block out the sun, and lives in the depths of volcanos."

"Well the largest dragon species ever recorded in my world is the Ukrainian Ironbelly. It is a bipedal breed, metallic grey in colour, with an immense wingspan, long talons and rough scales said to be as hard as steel. It is the largest breed of dragon which reaches up to 60ft, and its eyes are deep red. Sometimes the eyes seem to be the same colour as its body because of a protective scale." She recited, having read about them at home. "That's the only one I can think of. They're native to Ukraine so might explain why you've only seen the one. They don't migrate as they're quite slow because of their weight."

"Apparently, it was the queen of the nest on a volcanic island we always just call 'Dragon Island'." Amara said, going home to get started on the evening meal. "Book of Dragons is on the shelf by the stairs, the page on the Red Death is the one after the Night Fury page."

"Maybe later you can read it to me. I've felt the stuff engraved on your doors and, I gotta be honest, it's nonsense to me. Besides, bane has a reading age of 5." She said.

"Not a problem... I just meant it so you could do feel on the shape of the Red Death. We can read by the fire before bed tonight."Amara said.

"That'll be nice. So... you think your old man is cool with bane being around? Only I couldn't read him at all earlier." Roxanna asked a little nervously.

"He'll probably ask if you'd mind having him pose to be added to the book, but I don't think he'll mind. Dad likes learning as much as he can about different dragons, even now. It's... just taken a back-seat since before I was born." Amara said softly. "With how wild Deathsongs are, he can't get close enough to them for long enough to draw them to add to the book." She explained, getting the meat set up. Smelling his own dinner ready, Toothless came in, lit the cooking fire, opened his basket, and started to eat. Amara chuckled, but started to cook the food, the salad plated up to receive the meat as each was cooked. "How do you like your meat cooked?"

"I take it as it comes. Unless I'm at school I can't really be fussy." Roxanna explained. "I'm certain bane will at least try to pose for him though he might get bored and just want his belly rubbed again." She added.

"Dad's usually pretty good at drawing before the dragons get bored of posing." Amara said, smiling and proceeding to do the cooking.


	4. Hobblegrunt Hunting

Hiccup came in just as Amara was almost finished cooking "Hi, Dad. Dinner's almost ready."

Deciding it would be best to stay on hiccups good side, Roxanna slowly started talking to him about bane, being sure to mention his diet and how it affected his amber. She also went on a little bit about her theory why they seemed to hunt dragons that Amara had helped her think out.

Hiccup looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Yeah, that would explain it, actually... it kinda creates a sort of destructive cycle in that case, huh? They eat the dragons for the internal flame and Stoker-Class Gel, but the meat makes them need to hunt daily just to keep from getting sick, right? So... where is he now?" He asked curiously while Amara continued to cook.

"Outside. They're a bit overly respectful and since he knows this isn't my home he won't come inside without being officially invited. That cock crowing... is actually him." She explained.

Hiccup nodded. "Then I supposed I should go out to greet him and invite him, shouldn't I? You are both our guests, after all." He said softly. "If you would come with me, Roxanna?"

"Sure." She replied, following him out. Upon seeing hiccup and Roxanna, bane squawked 'ba-kurk?' like a chicken and turned his head 180 to look at them curiously.

Hiccup smiled. "He is quite talented, isn't he?" He said softly. "I'm sorry I didn't greet you sooner, Bane. I never meant to make you feel unwelcome." He said, stopping barely away from arm's reach of the dragon, closing his eyes and calmly holding his arm out.

"I don't know about talented but he does get bored easily-bane, don't do that." She sighed heavily as she heard the tell-tale sound of the dragon putting hiccups hand in his mouth. He made the sound of a creaky hinge shutting as he closed his mouth. But as Roxanna scolded him, he opened up again. He'd been very gentle and was just being silly but knew he'd been told off. "Next time you have to greet him, just bow ok? It'll save you getting a spittle covered hand." She said.

Hiccup chuckled. "It's not as bad as Toothless likes to get. He'll pounce on me and start licking me all over. Be careful: Night Fury spittle never washes out of leather flight suits." He warned, smiling softy. "Won't you come in, Bane? As long as you and your rider are guests of Berk, my home is open to you both." He said, gesturing inside to be a good host and let his newest guest in first.

Bane slowly headed in after Roxanna nodded, enforcing that it was ok. She followed in after him.

Hiccup smiled, sitting down at the table, pulling out a quill pen and the book of Dragons, opening to the nearest empty page. "Would you mind posing with your wings open for me, Bane? I need to draw one of your breed for the Book of Dragons, and we can't get close enough to wild ones."

Bane tilted his head and pulled faces to try make hiccup laugh instead of look so serious, but did as asked and extended his wings out carefully all the way.

Hiccup chuckled, inking his quill with practised ease as he worked to sketch the dragon before him in ink. it didn't take very long before he had the basic form as well as wing patterns done, and could add body patterns while the dragon moved around. He completely finished by the time everyone's dinner was cooked, and they had gathered. He used a bit of sand to help dry the ink so the pages wouldn't stick together. "There..." He said, a bright smile on his face. "We'll have to write info on it down, but otherwise, it's finished." Amara beamed. "And just in time for Dinner!"

Bane relaxed now, lying down on his back. "Good boy, Beau." Roxanna praised him as she joined them at the table.

Amara smiled, serving Stormfly her dinner of roast chicken as well before sitting down to eat with her family and their guest. Dinner was a quiet affair, with Toothless and Stormfly playfully greeting Bane after they finished their dinner, and the humans just having comfortable dinner conversation.

Roxanna listened more than she spoke. 'Children should be seen and not heard' had been her family's favourite motto growing up, though really they preferred neither.

I t was still a comfortable meal, and Amara soon was able to work at washing the dishes again, as was the norm.

Roxanna was right there to help. Bane was certainly more of a people dragon as he pestered Amara's parents for their attention while Roxanna was busy.

Astrid smiled, and Amara's grandmother was more than happy to play with the Deathsong as well, her years living among dragons years ago resurfacing. "Roxanna, your dragon is beautiful!" Valka said, slowly finding Bane's favourite spots to be pet or scratched.

"There's a saying in our family back home, 'the more beautiful the snake, the more poisonous the bite'. He acts all sweet and innocent but he can be a handful when he's bored." She said, putting some clean plates away. Bane hissed like a snake as Roxanna said the word.

Valka smiled and laughed at that hiss. "He's smart too... knowing sounds that go with different animals?" She asked Roxanna, her eyes lighting up.

"He knows too much and copies any noise he hears. Like, sheep, cows, pigs, horses, birds, donkeys... even other dragons." Roxanna replied as bane imitated each animal as she said them. "Give it a try."

"That's a very unique skill...it may help in locating groups of rarer dragons...my poor blinded Hobblegrunt hasn't been seen in weeks, and I can't imitate that dragon's call to try to help find it." She said softly, as sad tone to her voice. Amara finished draining the wash tub after finishing washing the dishes and got the Book of Dragons, opening to the back of the Hobblegrunt page to show Roxanna that dragon's form by touch.

Roxanna thought for a moment then spoke to bane. "Bane, remember that little guy that followed you about everywhere a few months back? Finn I think? What did he sound like?" She asked. Bane tilted his head then relayed the sound, knowing which she was expecting. It was, indeed, a hobblegrunt albeit a young one.

Valka's eyes softened at hearing that sound come from him. "Roxanna... after morning flying lessons with Amara... could you and Bane help me try to find that Hobblegrunt tomorrow?" Hiccup's eyes widened, noticing the advantage. "Of course... dragons find each other by their call... and will answer when they hear the call of their breed."

"Sure, we don't mind, do we boy? Besides, by then we might possibly be able to bring Amara with us." Roxanna said.

"One can hope." Hiccup said, having more confidence after seeing her have made friends with Bane at the Academy that day. "Don't stay up too late, girls." Amara sighed. "Yeah, days start with the sun, I know, Dad." Amara then turned to the back of the page on the Red Death to let Roxanna feel the form.

"Feels huge. Definitely an Ukrainian Ironbelly. No doubt about it. She must have gotten lost as a youngster and ended up here." She mused.

"According to Dad, she was overly cruel to the smaller dragons she had control over... and the cause of Berk's previous war with the dragons... they came to raid us at her command to bring her food. If they didn't bring enough, she'd eat THEM, according to Dad's story." Amara said.

"No doubt about it. But at least that's over with. I wonder how she got all the way out here without anyone noticing though?" Roxanna mused. "Anyway, hopefully tomorrow at the end of your lesson you could join us to find that hobblegrunt." She smiled.

"That's true... and with a dragon, it'd be easier for you to meet our soothsayer and healer, Gothi... she lives in a hut up on the rock tower above the great hall." Amara smiled eagerly.

"True. So, who do you want to practice on tomorrow? I don't think toothless will be suitable for the next lesson as it's guidance and he needs extra support than the average dragon." Roxanna asked.

"True... I'd have to think about it overnight." Amara said softly. "Are there any dragons you wanted to hear what the book says about them?"

"I think that's enough for tonight. We can read about more tomorrow." Roxanna said, yawning and stretching.

Amara nodded, putting the Book of Dragons away and showing the way upstairs for Bane's benefit. "Alright, goodnight. I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well, you two."

Bane settled down by the bed, his head up on the pillow. "Thanks. Goodnight Amara. Sweet dreams." Roxanna replied as she closed the door.

Amara nodded, heading to bed as usual, knowing the normal cycle would repeat again tomorrow for breakfast.

Roxanna slept a little bit easier that night, now bane was snoring away beside her.

Amara was up at the crack of dawn again, thinking more on which dragon to ask to borrow today, while also waiting for Roxanna to get up so they could get human and dragon breakfasts together, as she wanted to be sure their guest, and who Amara hoped would be a friend, had the right nutrition for her dragon.

Roxanna came down after a while, dressed in the clothes they'd found her in, though thankfully these had been washed and dried. She felt a lot more like herself in her high waisted dark grey shorts, crimson red tank top, over the knee socks, her high tops, all finished with her black cloak, the inside of which was lined with red. "Morning." She said, yawning a little as she walked down the stairs, followed by Bane who choose to wriggle down on his back.

"Morning, Roxanna. I didn't quite remember what the right ratio of vegetables to meat was for Bane's breakfast... care to help me out in getting the morning meal?"Amara asked cheerfully.

"About 70 percent veg, 25 percent oily fish and maybe 5 percent meat." She replied.

Amara nodded, smiling softly. "Alright, I'll be back soon with breakfast for all, just relax, ok?" she said softly.

"Ok. We'll still be here." Roxanna said, sitting down. Bane nuzzled her hand for attention, hissing like a snake.

Amara giggled, taking the baskets for the dragons and getting their breakfast set up, as well as ingredients for a traditional Berk Porridge, and returning to make the porridge over the fire, giving Toothless, Stormfly, and Bane their breakfasts before starting on the humans.

Bane was a very polite eater for a dragon. Instead of slopping the food everywhere, he ate slowly and thoughtfully, not dropping a single crumb.

Amara smiled, finishing the porridge by the time her parents came down for breakfast.

"I'm thinking that, if it's alright, we should use the meatlug again... gronkle was it? She seems easiest to manoeuvre." Roxanna suggested as they sat down to breakfast.

"I could go ask Fishlegs if he'd mind if we borrow her. Meatlug is her name, but Gronkle is her breed." Amara said, nodding.

Yes, that one. She'd be good to practice on." She said.

"I'll ask him after breakfast, while you go get Bane's saddle from Gobber, ok?"

"I think we can manage that, right Beau?" Roxanna asked the deathsong. Beau Bane lifted his head from his food and chirped like a bird. "Pretty sure that's a yes." Roxanna chuckled.

Amara nodded, smiling softly. "What would you call Meatlug's breed where you're from?"

"She's a little bit like a welsh green but way smaller." She replied. "They're the most placid of dragons but still very dangerous." She added.

"Do those dragons actually spew lava for their fire? Do dragons where you're from have a shot limit?" Amara was eager to ask.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen one and the books with more information on them is kept in the restricted area of the library." She explained. "I don't think they do but I don't think anyone has ever tried counting." She added.

"Most dragon species here have a 6-shot limit...one species, which we call the Whispering Death, actually has a shot limit of 10, though."

"I see. The dragons I know of kill instantly. Being so fast and aggressive if a fireball misses then they'll hunt you down and tear you apart. Its not advisable to try to count them." Roxanna explained.

"So nobody where you live knows how to train them... or live with them?" Amara asked, Hiccup looked surprised as well. "When a Dragon trusts you, it's first instinct is to protect you."

"No, where I'm from they view people as food. They'd eat you as soon as they look at you." She replied. "Their first instinct is kill."

Hiccup smiled. "For generations, we thought that, too...until I met Toothless and trained him. First day of 'dragon lessons', where we taught our teens to fight and kill dragons, the overall lesson was that 'a dragon will always go for the kill'...but the evening before that, I'd cut Toothless loose, he had me at his mercy...and instead of killing me, he roared in my face and ran away." Toothless nodded, cooing. "Have people in your world tried to kill dragons as well?"

"Only like a few hundred years back. They're classed as protected now. We've tried to befriend them too. Millions have lost their lives in trying to help them. The only one who's ever come close was a half giant. Humans just happen to be one of their favourite food. When I found bane's egg I thought it was a bird's egg. When he hatched it took me a while to figure it out and by then it was too late to think anything scary of him and he'd had no outside influence. Or at least not from other dragons." She explained.

They nodded. "Maybe you could use what you learn of our dragons to help bring peace to humans and dragons in your homeland?" Amara asked. "And have you ever heard of a massive, water-dwelling dragon with tusks that breathes ice instead of fire?"

"I doubt it but who knows? As for a water dragon, not really but the dragons I have heard about are just the basics." She explained.

"Well, that one is what we call the Bewilderbeast." Amara said.

"You really have creative names for them hu?" She asked, trying to be polite.

"One could say that...or strange, or unique." Amara said softly as she finished her breakfast.

"...I guess." She agreed, choosing not to mention that her dad was named after the involuntary movement of the diaphragmmuscles that most found irritating or a British term for something unexpected and unpleasant. "Are we going down to the cove again to practice? Or would you rather go elsewhere?" Roxanna asked.

"The cove would probably be the easiest place to practice." She said softly, standing up and waiting for Roxanna to join her before wishing her father a good day of "Chiefing" and heading outside. "You and Beau Bane remember the way to Gobber's shop? I'll pass it on the way to Fishlegs' place, anyway, so I can walk with you if you need it." She said with a friendly smile.

"I think we'll manage, right boy?" She asked. The dragon wagged his tail like a dog but purred like a cat. Roxanna put her hand on him and let him lead the way.

Amara nodded, smiling and making her way over to Fishlegs' house. Gobber grinned when he saw the Deathsong and his rider come up. "Ah! Perfect timing, Roxanna! I just finished the saddle! Simple form, light but strong Gronkle Iron frame, finest Leather on Berk, with wool between layers of leather to give both you and your dragon comfort." He said, presenting Roxanna with the saddle.

"Beautiful." She uttered, running her hand over it, feeling it's form and craftsmanship. "Are you sure you don't want anything for it?" She asked.

"Well..." He looked sheepish. "The Chief had asked me to try to help him with a present for his wife... for their anniversary. He'd wanted a figure of his wife's dragon in Amber, but... that is notoriously hard to dig up, and all the deposits on Berk have run dry." He said softly.

"Looks like it's meat for lunch, bane. It'll be much easier to carve that way." She said. "In the meantime though, could you possibly tighten this ring for me? It's a family heirloom." She asked, taking the ring from her pocket where she'd kept it safe.

"Thank you so much, lass. You're a lifesaver." He told them with a grateful smile. "No problem at all... about how much do you need it tightened?" He asked, falling into work mode once again.

Roxanna put it on her ring finger, "Not terribly much but enough to stop it slipping off." She explained, showing him.

Gobber nodded, smiling. "Alright. I should be done with it by sundown at the latest."

"No rush. Thanks again for this." She said as she went over to bane and started fitting his saddle. Gobber had seen many things in his time but the girls movements confused and worried him slightly. But before he could ask her about it they headed off to find Amara.

Amara was standing beside Meatlug, thanking Fishlegs again for letting them borrow her for the day.

Bane was eager to go greet them but remained patient and walked over, carrying Roxanna carefully. "All set to go?" She asked as bane stopped.

She nodded, getting on Meatlug as Roxanna spoke. "Yeah." She said, as Fishlegs whispered something to the Gronkle for travel instructions prior to the lesson itself.

They headed down to the cove and Roxanna dismounted, letting bane go look around. "Ok, same as yesterday. You're just a passenger. Calm your mind and close your eyes. When you feel like you're at the same stage we were at yesterday, before toothless flew, open your eyes and we'll take it from there. Just take your time and breathe." She explained.

Amara nodded, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths as she meditated, slowly calming and feeling the area around her. It took her a bit longer today, but soon enough she opened her eyes to signal she was ready.

"Ok, now remember that feeling." She said as she moved to stand at meatlug's side. "Now, this little sweetie has a very thick skin so don't worry about hurting her, we'll be lucky if she even feels it." Roxanna said as she put her hands on Amara's leg. "To encourage the dragon to move the direction you want, I apply pressure... once they move away, release." She said, pushing on her thigh, rather than her lower leg. "The reward is the release. To encourage lift, lean forwards, lifting yourself off her back. This gives her freedom to move and leaning forward encourages this. Likewise, going down, shift your weight back and sit deep. That last part will take a lot of time but they'll understand what you want by the shifting of your weight and guiding them down." She said, letting go of her leg as Meatlug moved then patting the dragon to praise her. "Give it a go."

Amara nodded, practising as instructed. By the time lunch came around, she had become at least competent enough to get Meatlug to fly a simple search pattern around the cove.

"Wonderful." Roxanna praised them, scratching under the gronkles chin. "I think we should leave it there for today and pick up again tomorrow." She suggested. "But I do think you're ready to come with us to find the hobblegrunt if you want to? After lunch, of course." She added.

Amara nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

Bane and meatlug growled in agreement at lunch certainly did sound like a good idea.

Amara laughed lightly. "Alright, let's gather up your Lunch before we head out, Meatlug." she said, patting the Gronkle affectionately, letting the dragon pick out the rocks that were then put in her meal basket.

"Meat for lunch for Bane. I promised gobber that we'd give him some amber." Roxanna told Amara.

Amara nodded, hooking the filled basket onto Meatlug's saddle. "Alright, we'll swing by the house to get Bane's basket, then you can set it up while I get lunch for us." She said, smiling and getting ready to head out.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll go in front so meatlug should follow but try guide her yourself ok? Every time you mount up you should think of it as practice." She replied, getting on bane.

Amara nodded, getting situated as they took off and headed back to the village together. When they landed, she gave Meatlug her lunch and went to help Roxanna with Bane's lunch, also getting ingredients for a yak milk stew for lunch. Once they returned, it wouldn't be long before the meal was ready.

Roxanna ensured that bane ate just enough meat to harden his amber before letting him start on his usual diet.

Amara smiled softly, the stew ready once Bane was started on his usual diet.

"Once he's finished I'll have enough time to help clean up before I have to take him over to gobber's." She told Amara.

"Alright. I hope you enjoy the stew." She said, dishing it up to everyone.

Yak stew was... an acquired taste it seemed, though back home they didn't add milk to stews so it was very different for Roxanna. She ate half to be polite before insisting she was full and excusing herself to check on bane.

The rest of the family enjoyed it, and Amara was understanding, to say the least. She figured and hoped it was just a cultural difference in cooking. As they started to clear the dishes, she gave her mother a look. "Mum... promise me you won't try to make yaknog again this Snoggletog."

Roxanna hurried bane over to gobber's so that the amber wouldn't cause him too much discomfort. He soon spat up a remarkably huge but perfect piece in one go. Roxanna fed him handfuls of grass to calm his furnace before taking him back to meet up with Amara again.

Gobber smiled, getting his chisel and hammer hand. "Thanks! Oh, when you have a few moments, I heard about your excursion with Valka...but when you're free, Gothi would like to see ya." He said, pointing to the rock spire above the Great Hall. "She came around askin' about ya when I started work on the ring... it's done, by the way." He said, nodding to the resized ring as Roxanna was helping her dragon.

"Ok, I'll visit before we go meet her." She promised.

"Alright. Take care... and thanks again!"he beamed, waving.

"You're welcome." She replied before hurrying to meet up with Amara and Valka.

Amara smiled, already doing a bit of figure-eight practising with Meatlug while they waited. "All set?" She asked Roxanna as she arrived.

"Yes, all set. I need to go back afterwards but all set now." She said, pulling Bane up close by.

Amara nodded, looking to Valka. "Where did you last see your Hobblegrunt, Grandmother?" Valka nodded, climbing onto her Stormcutter, Cloudjumper. "This way." She said, leading the way to the last location she'd seen it, a ways off the shore where Roxanna had been found. "He was trying to fish out around here."

"Bane?" Roxanna turned to her deathsong as she got off. Bane snorted then started to make the hobblegrunt noise. Roxanna walked around with him as he continued calling. "You're sure it was here?" She asked Valka, a little concerned. "Bane and I are going to take a look around." She said, mounting up and taking off. They flew low and close to the shore for a while before coming back. "I think I've found him... but there's a slight problem." She said when she landed. "He's got himself stuck in a nest of something buzzing." She said explained.

"Show me." Valka said softly, manoeuvring Cloudjumper to follow Bane, Amara using this time to practice and directing Meatlug to follow them.

Roxanna lead the way on bane to where she'd heard the hobblegrunt. Bane made the noise again and something replied in a similar noise from the end of a long dark tunnel, shortly after which came an aggressive buzzing noise.

Amara rubbed Meatlug gently. "Can you help us out to see in there with a Lava Blast, girl?" In response, she shot a large glob of lava toward a dip near the entrance, which actually gave off enough light for Valka, Amara, Cloudjumper, Beau Bane, and herself to see by.

A moment later a swarm of small dark dragons flew out, past them at an amazing speed. Roxanna steadied bane and stopped at the entrance to the cave where she hopped off. "I'll go check it out." She told the.

Amara nodded, doing her best to relax. "Were those... Smokebreaths, Grandmother? I've only ever seen them in pictures in the Book of Dragons." She said curiously.

"That's right. The buzz was from their wings." Valka confirmed.

Amara nodded, waiting nervously for Roxanna and Bane to return with the Hobblegrunt.

"Are you wanting to follow?" Valka asked with a grin, figuring that Amara was at that curious stage, something that wouldn't end as she probably inherited from her parents.

"Kind of... I mean... Dad's told me of Smokebreath nests, but I've never seen them. And why is there a new nest on Berk, and how did your blind Hobblegrunt get attracted into and stuck inside?" She said, the questions coming one after the other.

"He's blind so if they were asleep he wouldn't have known but who knows?" She shrugged. "I just hope he's ok."

"Should we go in to see? I mean, if all else fails, Cloudjumper and Meatlug can hold flames in their mouths to light the way, right?"

"Meatlug will fit but not cloudjumper. That's why she left beau bane outside." She explained. "Most left the nest so we should be ok." She added. "Besides, it's not very responsible to let her go in alone."

Amara nodded, having Meatlug fly over to the cave entrance, waiting for her Grandmother to touch down on the rock beside her before they headed in after them. Valka told Cloudjumper to keep watch, and call if the Smokebreaths returned before they headed inside.

Roxanna was a little ways inside. Without Bane to guide her she was taking it slowly and using her hand on the side of the cave to steady herself.

"Hey... we're here to try to help a bit... Cloudjumper is gonna keep watch to let us know when the Smokebreaths return." Amara said softly. "Meatlug, some light, please?"

"That's an idea." Roxanna said as she continued walking.

Meatlug started to bring up a fireball for light, but then saw a pile of especially tasty-looking rocks and decided to have a 'snack', which killed the light. "Well... so much for that idea. Too bad there was so much on Dad's Chiefing list today... we could have used Toothless' help here... he can see with sound..."

"You didn't have to follow." Roxanna said, picking her way carefully as it sloped down.

"I've never seen a Smothering Smokebreath nest... according to the Book of Dragons, they steal metal to make their nests to protect themselves from larger dragons." Amara said, and Valka laughed. "The curiosity and dragon affinity runs in the family. She takes after her father, who takes after me." Valka said. "Oh... if only I could see more than a few inches from my face..."

"Are you really struggling back there?" Roxanna asked as she tried not to slip down a particularly slippery stone. "Lumos." She uttered, holding her left hand out to the side. A bright globe of light shone just above her palm and hovered there, staying between her fingers though never touching them. "I think he's just a bit further... be careful, it starts to get slippery. He must have slid down." She said, not giving what she'd done a second thought.

Amara nodded, wanting to ask about the globe of light, but deciding to wait until their rescue went through, using her skills from having lived through Berk Winters to deal with the slippery slope, reaching her hand back to her Grandmother, in case she needed it.

"W-what... is that?!" Valka asked, a note of worry in her voice. "Hmm?" Rox asked, glancing back, more so she could hear clearer. "In your hand!" Valka said, a hand on Amara's shoulder as though to pull her back if the girl turned out to be violent. "...it's... well... light. You said you wanted to see." Roxanna explained calmly.

"Grandmother, it's not that much different from Dad's canisters of Zippleback Gas, or his dragon blade that he lights on fire, is it? What matters is saving your Hobblegrunt, right?" Amara asked, quick to the defence of her friend.

Valka nodded. Roxanna shook her head. From back at the mouth of the cave, bane let out the noise again. Somewhere a little further ahead a hobblegrunt replied. Turning a corner past a large boulder they saw the poor old dragon, lying there and looking sorry for himself. "This what you were looking for?" She asked them.

Valka gasped nodding. "Oh, you poor thing... what happened to you?" She said, soothing her Hobblegrunt. In the light of Roxanna's spell, Amara could see the eyes, and whispered to Roxanna he was just like her, in how much sight he had. The Hobblegrunt let out a soft cry at Valka's familiar scent. Then they saw: Its wing was trapped under a fallen chunk of metal from the Smokebreath nest. "We need to get it's wing out from under that..." Amara said. "Can you use my voice and touch on my arm to help find the thing to help us lift it, Roxanna?"

"If you step aside I can move it." She replied. "How high do you want it?"

"About 6-10 inches... high enough that he can get it free so we can get him out of here." Amara replied.

Roxanna nodded and waited a moment for them to move then, just using her right hand she pointing with her finger and made a swish and flick motion as she said "Winggardium leviosa." The chunk of metal wobbled slightly then slowly lifted up about a foot in the air.

Valka was a bit unnerved, but once his wing was free, the Hobblegrunt nuzzled up to her, distracting her from the strange occurrences. She proceeded to guide the blind Hobblegrunt outside, leaving the girls to follow.

Bane was a box of excitement as he sat outside, waiting for them, his long tail wiggling like a snake as he saw the light coming from Roxanna's hand getting closer.

Valka called Cloudjumper over, getting the hurt Hobblegrunt onto him behind his saddle. "I'll meet you girls back home. Roxanna, Beau Bane... thank you for helping me find him... trapped as he was... I don't like to think what might have happened to him."

"Think nothing of it. Bane just likes showing off but we're glad he's ok." She replied. Bane chirped in agreement.

"Thank you again... He can barely change his colour any more... he's probably nearly starved... he owes his life to you and Bane." The Hobblegrunt let out an appreciative sound, it's head turning toward the sound of Roxanna's voice.

"Really, it's quite alright. I think we should be getting back. We need to return meatlug and then visit someone." She explained as she mounted up on beau bane.

Amara smiled, and Valka nodded. "Alright, I'll meet you girls back at the house. Try not to take too long...first Freeze of the season is going to be tonight, so you'll want to be inside where it's warm." She said, flying ahead on Cloudjumper while Amara got on Meatlug.


	5. Family Old and Young

Together the girls set off. Though lift and decent were still a bit beyond her, Amara was doing well. It seemed that these silent instructions were learned by the adults as kids when riding their dragons for the first time so had grown used to it being the norm. Having only ever really rode their own, they didn't realise that each dragon requires different riding ability. As Roxanna had explained to Amara, you are the constant but the dragon is always changing. What works for one won't necessarily work for others.

Amara was still trying her hardest, staying at that calm centre while they headed back to the village.

"Everything ok? You're being very quiet. Normally you're chatty and all smiles." Roxanna said as they landed.

"Yeah, it's just that I've seen you curious about things that have been said. After the stew today, I'm sure a lot of your questions come down to cultural things. I... want to help you understand about the culture I was raised in, if you have any questions." Amara said.

"Well I was going to ask but I'm sure it'd be hard for me to relate to them." she admitted. "Like what's a 'snoggletog'? sounds like valentines day."

"Snoggletog is our winter holiday. We have hooks under our eaves where we hang our helmets upside down for Odin to fill with goodies. We exchange presents and set up a 'tree' in the town square out of boards painted green, and decorate it." She explained with a smile. "We also decorate our houses, and everyone puts their disputes aside to be kind and friendly to each other."

"So basically it's christmas." Roxanna said, more to herself.

Amara smiled at Roxanna's understanding, though she didn't know what 'Christmas' was. "Did you have any other questions?"

"Erm... just one. Why does your dad have such a ridiculous name? I mean really. He's got the same name as an involuntary movement of thediaphragm that most find irritating, or where I'm from it's another word for a small unintended mistake that needs correcting." she asked.

"There are two traditions when it comes to names for Vikings. Either strong, scary names that will make the monsters afraid to touch the child for fear of being struck down by the gods... most are named this way. But it's also tradition to call the runt of the litter, or one born early, 'hiccup'. Dad was born 2 moons earlier than babies usually are, according to stories told by grandmother and Dad, so..." She shrugged.

"Poor kid. But guess it's better than being disowned." she mused.

"Dad actually beat the odds...most human 'hiccups' don't survive infancy. Dad survived, and has actually been the one who first 'trained' a dragon, when he met Toothless back when he was my age." She told her softly.

"Yeah, you said. I can relate. I wasn't exactly wanted as a baby because I'm a girl. My parents put me in an orphanage to 'teach me a lesson'. All it taught me was that adults lie and family means nothing if you aren't useful to them." She said in a matter of fact tone.

"Family sticks together here... to us... family means everything." She said quietly, getting off Meatlug and thanking Fishlegs for letting them borrow her that day. Fishlegs was just happy to see her back. "Who were you going to go see, Roxanna?"

"Gobber said someone called 'Gothi' wanted to see me. Want to come with? I'm sure bane will carry us both." She offered, not really sure where this person lived.

"OH! Gothi's really nice...most people in Berk can't understand her... at most, it's me and Gobber who best interpret the drawings she uses to communicate. I haven't visited her in a while, I probably should. Just let me grab something from my house... she can't usually make it to the great hall for Snoggletog, so we've taken to bringing her Snoggletog presents early." She said, running to her room and grabbing a bundle, wrapped up brightly. "Ok, set... since she lives so high up, even with 12 Terrible Terrors, it's tough to stay warm... I made her a new winter blanket."

"Alright. We set then?" She asked as Amara got on behind her. "You'll have to direct me."

She nodded, smiling and directing Roxanna to the Great Hall, holding on to Roxanna's shoulders. "Ok, there's a tall rock spire above... we're facing towards the west, so you may be able to see it's shadow. Gothi's hut is at the top."

"Ok, up we go." She said, urging bane up. He took off like a dream, his wings lifting them effortlessly, flapping elegantly like a butterfly, his tail streaming out behind like the tail of a kite. It didn't take too long before Gothi's hut was in sight.

Amara gently guided Roxanna to bring Bane in for a landing on the platform around the hut itself, where Gothi was enjoying some end of the day sunlight. "Good evening, Gothi. I'm sorry I haven't been to see you myself lately." She said softly. "I brought you my gift for this year's Snoggletog. And the Village's guests, Roxanna and her Deathsong, Beau Bane, have gotten your message to come see you." She said, giving Gothi her gift.

Roxanna got down from bane and bowed politely. "Pleasure to meet you." She said.

Gothi gasped, seeing the ring again, and started to draw. "She asks if she could see your ring." Amara read off after noticing what the old woman had drawn.

Roxanna furrowed her brow but took it off and held it out.

Gothi reached out slowly. When her fingers touched the ring, there was a strange burst of energy, the likes that Amara had never even heard of. The ring and everyone there was fine when it dissipated, and Gothi looked shocked before starting to speak at a speed that made it tough for Amara to understand, with the same accent as Roxanna. Roxanna, however, would understand her perfectly. "I knew that was the Black family ring... the specific one that was stolen from me when I was cursed and banished here after my husband died! What is your real name, girl? I can hear fine, despite my age, you can whisper it to me if you don't want the Chief's daughter to know... I know she has The Gift, but I couldn't very well teach her."

"...Jo... Joanna... how did you know about my family? Who are you?" She asked, feeling a bit frightened. Normally her family weren't greeted with kindness, despite the fact her family was viewed as royalty in her world.

"I've probably been removed from the Tapestry, since I married a Muggleborn...but my name was Gothella Black." She told the girl in a whisper.

"... never heard of you but we don't speak of 'traitors'." Jo replied simply though it was true.

"It was the same in my time. I fell in love with a Muggleborn. I always believed the Blacks could be better than the pureblood mania, even back in my day." She said softly. "For a dragon to trust you, you must have a much kinder heart than most of our pureblood manic family, yes?" She said with a smile. "I was banished back through time, and washed up on Berk, cursed to be mute, after my husband died."

"I don't know about kind. I just use what I can to help myself. Though I guess I try not to harm other things in the process. Nobody looks out for me except for Bane, and I care for nobody but him." She said.

"Compared to others of our line, that is kind." she said softly. "Keep him close, but try to make friends here. Young Amara looks up to you, Joanna. Trust in her, even if no other humans. If you can find a way to teach her about the Gift, do so... I didn't get to finish my schooling, so I can't teach her... it's been so long since I did magic."She sighed, "Except for healing potions and divination to help the villagers, that is."

"If mother found out I was being nice to a muggle then I doubt I'll finish my schooling either." She said. "Besides. Its one thing having it and another thing using it. Not all who have it are capable and not all who are capable have it." She explained. "Besides, she's not interested." She added.

"Amara was very talented in her early schooling with me... I have taught all children born here to make simple curative potions... and she's known to be polite. But still... having friends on Berk is better than not having them. Promise me you'll try? It's not like news of me will get back to the Blacks, I don't see how you making friends with Amara would. The other youths her age distance themselves from her, as she's the only one to not have her own dragon yet."Gothi asked.

"Yeah, what is that about?" Jo asked curiously. "It's like everyone but her has one."

"She hasn't been drawn to any eggs laid from when she was 5-10 years old...and none of the dragons have nested during their winter holiday in 5 years. I saw something strange in my gazing crystal...that could only be translated as 'the one to travel and mend the rift between Wizards, and Dragons shall return the Voice of Thunder to Berk'. But since another dragon the Chief's father had, we haven't even seen Thunderdrums near the island."

"You know those things seldom work, right?" She asked sceptical. "Besides, fate and dragons don't mix. They turn up when they want, not because something told them to."

"Wild Dragons, yes...but trained Dragons will consider their human the center of their territory. Consider it, hmm?" Gothi said softly.

"We'll see." She replied, giving the same answer her parents had used a lot that usually meant 'no'. Despite being put in an orphanage, Jo's birth family had visited her once a year... not that the muggles running the place knew about this. So she was very much aware of the 'we'll see' notion.

Gothi smiled, shaking her head. "Go on...it's getting late, and the two of you should be inside before tonight's Freeze."

"Sure. Well, pleasure to meet you." She said, getting back onto Bane and waiting for Amara.

"Same, don't be a stranger." Gothi said, waving as Amara climbed up behind Roxanna.

Roxanna just waved before turning bane back and setting off back down with him. Now it was easier to see the trust between her and the deathsong. They plummeted towards the earth, Roxanna only aiming bane to where she wanted to be. It was entirely down to him how he got there. As they got dangerously close and, as she could see, Amara would naturally be feeling panicky, bane spread his wings and landed delicately. Roxanna had felt Amara's grip on her. "You ok?" She asked.

"Yeah... the dive is a bit scarier to ride along on when you can see." She said shakily, smiling softly at Roxanna. "Are there any hot meals from your homeland we have the ingredients to make?" She asked, looking around the house and food storage and telling Roxanna what they had to work with.

"Not really. I'm kind of a fussy eater in that respect. When I was I was taken back by my parents, they used recipes handed down through the family but they're revolting. But when I'm at school and can eat what I want, I don't really feel up to trying anything new. I'm not particularly fond of sweets either." She said.

"I meant of the ingredients we have... are there any dishes you enjoy that I'd be able to make with you instructing me on the steps?" She said softly. "I know you weren't a fan of the stew... we don't have much for a thickening agent besides the milk, and that's what we use... though I don't know what my mother puts in her Yaknog to make the yak milk in it go lumpy the way it does."

"Just make whatever you normally would. I'll try anything." She said.

Amara shrugged, getting some fixings for a different meal for the humans, and the usual meals for the dragons, before heading home.

Bane walked happily beside them, whistling a tune he'd learned from listening to the local birds.

"He really is talented." She noticed as they walked inside to start on dinner.

"He just likes showing off... you enjoy being the centre of attention, don't you boy?" She asked him. Bane purred loudly, a big goofy smile on his face.

Amara giggled. "That's something he and Toothless have in common, then. That Night Fury will shoot down his own Plasma Blasts, just for a chance at a rubdown, or a piece of bread."

"Yeah. It seems to be a trait of the smarter ones." She smiled.

Amara smiled softly. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it?". After the dragons were fed and dinner for the humans was started, she smiled at her father when he and Toothless came in. "Evening, Dad. Dinner's almost ready." She said, tending to the meal.

"Great, we're starving, right buddy?" He asked the black dragon who nodded furiously.

"Yeah, I know. Your fish are all set in your basket, Toothless." The Night Fury let out a very cute cooing purr-like sound, nuzzling the girl before digging in to his dinner.

"So, you had fun today?" He asked.

"Yeah. I worked my best at learning from everything Roxanna taught me, and then we helped Grandmother rescue her Hobblegrunt from a Smothering Smokebreath nest. It's in a cave among the cliffs. I'd thought you'd relocated all the Smokebreaths on Berk before you and Mum wed, though."

"Well just because you move dragons doesn't mean that they'll stay where you put them." He reasoned.

"True... I just hope they don't start stealing from the town again, like you said they did before." Amara said.

"Well this time we're aware of them. If they become a nuisance then we'll move them again." He reassured her.

She nodded. "Alright, Dad. Still, I thought you should know. Roxanna also helped me bring Gothi her Snoggletog gift... I've been working on ones for you, Mum, Stormfly and Toothless, too. I finished Grandmother's and Cloudjumpers a week ago."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it." He smiled.

Amara nodded. "I think I'll stay in for a few days to finish working on the presents... after that, Snoggletog preparations will be in full swing. Can you help me keep an eye on Mum, Dad? We have to TRY to keep her away from kitchens, or we'll have to worry about her Yaknog again."

"Yeah, I can try. You know how strong willed she is but I'll try." He said, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I know... and I know Mum means well, but... well..." Toothless caught on and made a 'yuck' face as well. "Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it."

"No problem kiddo." He smiled.

She smiled back, checking the meal and smiling at finding it finally ready. She served it up and settled in with everyone to eat dinner.

Roxanna sat where she had done before, dismissing bane so he could eat his dinner too.

Amara smiled, watching as Toothless conversed with Bane while the others finished mimicking toothless's way of 'talking' to converse with him.

Amara giggled, pointing this out to her father, who laughed. "Seems you finally found a dragon to talk to who's as clever as you, huh, Bud?" Toothless just wagged his tail wing in answer.

"He must get lonely occasionally without others of his kind around. Even with such an enriched environment." Roxanna said.

"Yeah, he does. We keep going out looking for more Night Furies when we have time, but... well, he shares chiefing duties with me. Among the members of the village, the humans see me as their Chief... but ever since Toothless defeated a Bewilderbeast in combat, he's become the chief to the dragons... so we don't have much time to search."Hiccup said.

"Seriously? They migrate through our country twice a year, taking seven to thirteen days to do so. It's manic for everyone, especially when trying to keep... people from seeing them." Roxanna chose her words carefully, deciding against using the word 'muggle' as this would draw more questions.

"Yeah, seriously. Astrid and I were married at 21, I met Toothless when I was 15. We had Amara a year after our wedding... And since I met Toothless, we've NEVER come across another Night Fury." Hiccup said sadly.

"Poor guy must have gotten separated from his pod as a youngster. They don't tend to enjoy cold weather but love mud and bogs. They cover themselves in mud and sunbathe while they sleep during the day, then fly and hunt and eat at night. All travelling is done at night." She said, talking more to herself.

"I still feel bad for him... I'd be willing to let him have more freedom. One Snoggletog, I actually made him a new tail that would have the other side change to mimic the positioning of his remaining natural one. But after he used it to go get my old helmet... he destroyed it. I made a new one, but he won't even let me put it on him... but I think the fact that he took off for so long to find it that I was afraid I'd never see him again may have something to do with it." Hiccup said.

"Sounds reasonable." She agreed.

Hiccup nodded, finishing his dinner and walking over to Toothless. "Since I met him, and he showed me how everything we 'knew' about Dragons was wrong...he's been my best friend... and yet more. He gave me my purpose... even though I'm Chief of Berk... I want to find out everything I can about dragons. But most of all... I want to help him not be so lonely. If we could even find another group of Night Furies to stay here during the summer on migration, as you said..." He trailed off, pressing his forehead to the black dragon's forehead, who cooed.

"I don't know... I'd get in so much trouble." Roxanna said, shaking her head. Bane tilted his head and started hissing like a snake. Surprisingly, Roxanna started hissing back. They hissed at one another for a while before Roxanna sighed, "We'll see."

"You'd...help us find some?" Hiccup asked, his eyes wide. "Can you tell us anything more about their habits in the wild? Are they hostile to certain other species of dragons, for example."

"If I could get home then I'd take you to see them, that's no problem at all. They seem to be hostile towards everything though. Like I said before, dragons eat people. We're part of their natural food chain after all." She shrugged. "Though they avoid fighting wherever possible which explains their nocturnal behaviour."

"Dragons seem to be hostile towards anything they view as a threat to them... I mean, we used to have problems with a dragon we call a Flightmare until we diverted a stream away from the village that had a specific kind of algae that it feeds on. The algae glows on nights when Arandil's Fire lights the night sky, and eating it is what makes the dragon glow... it also shoots a paralysing mist instead of fire." Hiccup saidin explanation, petting Toothless' head. "Maybe if you take him with you when you go to find them, he can help diffuse any aggression?"

"If they recognise him as one of their own. He might look the part but he doesn't smell it or act it. But I guess it'd be worth a shot." She mused.

"He's really smart... I'm sure that if you teach him about how others of his kind behave, he can learn." Hiccup said, smiling. "I didn't try to actively change him... one thing he's ALWAYS done is use his flame on the place he's going to sleep before curling up there."

"I'm not sure I can teach him. I mean, how do you teach a dragon anyway?" She said, shaking her head. She was a Black so was very aware of how much people expected of her, but she wasn't like her family. Controlling spells, potions and incantations flicked through her mind on ways she could change his behaviour but she wasn't stupid or selfish. The ones that wouldn't harm the dragon wouldn't work because of the dragon's natural resistance to magic, and the stronger ones would damage him beyond repair. Any other family member would have gone for the pain route but Roxanna decided strongly against it.

"Like we both know, he's very smart... he's learned to understand our speech, and he understands what we say. Couldn't you teach him like you might teach a human who is unable to read?" Hiccup suggested.

Roxanna didn't look amused. "Like before, I said I can try. You'll have to either take that or leave it." She said bluntly. It felt like talking to her uncle again and she was half expecting him to start screaming at her to go to her 'room', her 'room' being a shed at the end of the long narrow bracken filled back garden.

"I understand... you seemed confused on how to achieve the attempt, so I was making a suggestion, that's all." He said with a kind smile. "Sleep well, Roxanna." Hiccup said, rubbing Toothless' head and heading up to bed.

"Good night." She replied, feeling a little bit confused. Roxanna helped clean up the plates and stuff.

"Is our way of co-operation here on Berk so different from what you're used to, Roxanna?" Amara asked as they washed the dishes together.

"I'm used to having me myself and I to rely on. Being... from my family, people look at you as royalty so expectation are high." She shrugged.

She nodded. "That sounds rough...but here, you can rely on us, too. You just have to ask if you need help."

"Why would I rely on people I don't know? And how could you expect me to?" She asked rhetorically.

Amara shrugged, recognizing rhetorical questions from when she was younger.

Roxanna shook her head, "It takes time to teach any thing anything. People, dogs, owls, dragons, they're all the same."

"Yeah, but they can learn. And I think Toothless has confidence in you." She said, smiling as the black dragon nudged Roxanna's free hand with a gentle coo.

"I've no confidence in them. Don't get me wrong, I understand them and that's why I have no trouble riding them, but I don't trust them. I've been teaching you to guide them and encourage them to do what you want. The only trust involved is that they'll walk or fly but that's more to do with instincts." She said.

"You don't consider Bane your friend?" She asked in surprise. "Maybe that's the problem people where you're from have with dragons? We treat our Dragons as friends and family members... in return, they protect us and help us. Dad found that dragons have an instinct to protect those they care for."

"We get eaten. What part of that don't you get? They don't eat our sheep or cows, but people are a delicacy." She frowned. "Dragons naturally care for their own, not people."

"It's not like that here... I've never seen dragons be aggressive towards people as if hunting them before." Amara explained. "Even most wild dragons we know about eat sheep, chickens, or fish. There's the rare one that eats plants or algae, but mostly it's the former three." She said softly. "I find it hard to imagine dragons having a taste for human flesh... even when we fought them in the past, when they killed us, they never ate us... just left the bodies, according to stories by the other villagers older than Mum and Dad's generation."

"Dragons are huge where I'm from. They're more likely to eat a whale than bother with a few small fish or chicken." She shrugged.

"We have a few massive species, who do tend to eat more than other kinds, but not many. I guess it's something I'd have to see to understand." She said softly.

"Hopefully not first hand experience." Roxanna mused.

Amara shrugged. "Maybe it's to do with environment or something, who knows? But we should head to bed... after the first big freeze of the season, the dragons that breed start nesting, and we start preparations for Snoggletog... if you and Bane are gonna take part, you'll each need helmets forged."

"... we'll see. Goodnight Amara." She said, heading up to bed, Bane following close behind.

When they made it to bed, they found Toothless had gone to every sleeping platform to warm it up so the rooms were heated through the freeze before spending the night with his own rider.


	6. Real 'Insight'

As usual, Amara was up early to make breakfast for everyone.

Roxanna wasn't up very early the next day. She'd never done well getting up when it was cold.

Amara kindly let Roxanna sleep in, knowing how sluggish the cold could make you, only going to wake her after breakfast was ready, and she'd gotten permission from her mother to borrow Stormfly for that day's learning. She laid out some warm clothes for Roxanna before waking her.

Roxanna took a while to wake up and wasn't particularly talkative once awake. Bane hissed at her a lot but Roxanna didn't answer him.

Amara seemed to understand, just telling her to dress in the warm clothes and leaving her be.

Roxanna came down a little while later, looking very sleepy and a little bit ruffled, yawning a lot. This wasn't helped by Bane who mimicked her yawns.

Amara smiled softly, putting a warm meal in front of Roxanna and letting her eat in peace.

"Still waiting to train today?" Roxanna asked sleepily.

"We need to start prepping for Snoggletog... we'll need new boards for the tree... we usually have our friendly Timberjack, Stokehead, help us with that, but he needs direction on which to cut. A Timberjack as a dragon with wide, sharp wings that can slice through a tree in seconds." Amara said.

"I see..." she replied as she finished her breakfast.

"I've gotten Mum's permission to borrow Stormfly... I was thinking that we should get Gobber's help to get that tree, then I could give you a tour of the full island on Dragon back." she smiled.

"Sure. Sounds good." She agreed.

Amara nodded, gently scratching Stormfly's favourite spot to assure the Nadder they'd head out shortly, before turning to Toothless. "Take care of Dad... you know how he gets caught up in work... make sure he says warm, hmm?" The Night Fury cooed an affirmative, then nudged Amara towards the door. "Yeah, I know, get to work." She smiled, waving at her parents. "Alright, we should get started... take care, and Dad? Remember to warm up from time to time."

Hiccup nodded,already too caught up in his thoughts. Roxanna headed outside with bane and instantly regretted it. Being from Britain, she didn't complain openly about the weather but got on Bane and turned to Amara. "We'll start from here. Put everything you've learned so far into practice. Once you're ready give the word and we'll set off."

Amara nodded, calming herself down as she climbed up onto Stormfly. When she was ready, she nodded again, cuing Stormfly onward, directing her to Gobber's.

Roxanna and bane set off. Flying with stormfly was different to toothless. She was distracted easily, possibly because of her good eyesight and sense of smell. This meant you had to really focus and constantly keep her in check. But while this made her difficult, she was easier than toothless as she didn't argue and happily followed the riders directions as long as she was focused. Amara was starting to learn what Roxanna had said, that the older villagers couldn't explain; each dragon is different but you are the same. You sit and ride each the same but have to compensate for their behaviour and traits. Roxanna, for all that most could see, sat there. But she was always thinking. Always feeling. If a dragon hesitated then why? Fear? She'd compensate with courage. Lost interest? She'd give them new focus. "Try rising her and lowering her a little, constantly, as you go. That'll help her focus." She said.

Amara nodded, doing as instructed and also learning from this experience as well. It only took a little longer for them to meet up with Gobber, and then the three of them, with Gobber on Stokehead, flew out to find a tree that would give them enough boards. Once that was done, the sound telling Roxanna that Stokehead really did cut the tree into boards with his wings, they landed the dragons, setting up a net for Stokehead to carry back to Berk. Gobber thanked the girls for the help, and Amara smiled. "Ready for that tour? It'll probably help out if Bane knows the sights, right?" She said, once Gobber was out of earshot.

"Sure. Can't hurt." She agreed with a smile.

Amara nodded, smiling and guiding, Stormfly up and beginning the tour.

Bane followed effortlessly, staying close to Stormfly.

Amara worked hard, doing her best to keep Stormfly on course. They were visiting the stop on the tour of a particularly interesting cave system when Stormfly swerved away from Bane, dodging a weak concussive blast.

"What was that?" Roxanna asked, steadying Bane who was snarling and flapping his butterfly-like wings rapidly in annoyance.

"It came from that cave... let's go in to find out... carefully, Stormfly..." She said softly, urging the dragon in. "From what I've read, only a couple dragons use Concussive blasts... foremost is the Thunderdrum."

"It's a bit random of it to attack out of the blue like that though, right?" She asked as she steadied bane to follow stormfly.

"Thunderdrums will attack like that for one of two reasons... when protecting something... or when they're frightened or wounded." She said, repeating what she'd learned from the book. "Look... in the cave..."

"Bane... wait here." Roxanna said firmly as she dismounted the deathsong, fully intending to find out what was troubling the dragon in the cave.

Amara signalled for Stormfly to land. When she did, the Nadder's tail spines spiked out, but Amara went to work on calming her. "No, Stormfly... we're not fighting... easy... wait here with Bane." When the dragon calmed, she cautiously approached the dragon she'd seen, an adult Thunderdrum... female, by the egg beside her. "I... don't think she's long for this world, Roxanna... she's... got a screaming death spike through her belly."

Roxanna frowned and slowly walked closer to the dying dragon, her hand stretched out towards it until her fingertips met with its cool skin. "Shh now..." she whispered. "Shh now... time to sleep, beautiful creature." She uttered, her hand still on the dragon's cheek. Surprisingly, the thunderdrum did calm down and looked almost at peace despite the pain before letting go. "Poor thing must have been in a fight or something hmm?" She asked Asana as she removed her hand.

"Dragons close to nesting often fight the hardest and most irrationally over good nesting spots..." She said, picking up the egg and holding it close to her. "We have to find some way to keep this warm so it can hatch."

"Hmm... here." Roxanna said, taking her cloak off. She dabbed it over the mothers skin, trying to get some of its scent on it then passed it to Amara. "It'll keep it warm and it can keep it once it hatches."

Amara nodded, wrapping up the Thunderdrum egg carefully in the cloak. "Thank you for helping... the poor girl must have been here, too hurt to hunt, suffering for a few days... thank you for helping her."

"It's nothing. We were just lucky to be passing. The calming thing is kind of like a quality passed down through the Black family. Though it's not something to be proud of exactly." She mused.

"Depends on where you are...we have to fight a lot...to be able to pass on in peace...it's a great gift." She said softly.

"It's never, exactly been used for peace." She explained.

"Well, maybe it should be." Amara said before frowning. "Wait... Black? Didn't you tell Dad and the rest of the village your surname was White?" She asked, a puzzled look on her face.

Roxanna shrugged, "It's my family name. I try not to associate with it." She said simply.

"So... with that light you used to find the Hobblegrunt... was that what Gothi has always called 'the Gift'? I don't know if you have any other name for that, but it was really interesting. I didn't want to scare Grandmother more than she was, so I tried to calm her at the time, but I thought it was really interesting." Amara asked, full of excitement.

"Yeah... you could call it that." She said.

"Gothi has always said that I have 'the Gift'...she gave me a book that's actually written in a script that I can't read...she said it was a potion book. I keep it in my room, if you'd take a look at it?" she was quick to offer.

"Bit hard to look at something I can't see..." she uttered sheepishly.

"Oh... I'm sorry..." She said, looking down. "The pages are weird, though... The print is clearly words, I can see them... but I can't make hide nor hair of them... they're also a bit raised on the page, not indented like if it was written by hand."

"...maybe but shouldn't you be a bit more worried about your egg?" She asked, clearly not happy about discussing the issue raised.

She nodded, holding it close still. "Fire could definitely help it... but I kinda don't want to... have interference with older Dragon Riders in raising my dragon... any ideas on how we could keep it secret until the hatched baby grows enough to fly?"

"Amber holds heat well. We could make a nest of it and get one of the borrowed dragon to heat it up." She suggested.

"That would be really great... we'd have to fish for it ourselves, so we don't deplete the village's stores, but we have a few days at least before it hatches..." She said softly, cradling the egg close as they made their way to the dragons.

"Making the nest should be easy enough." Roxanna mused as she reached bane.

"Stormfly has the hottest fire of any dragon we know... a medium flame from her should warm the nest well... our dragons can't melt Deathsong Amber with their flames, so it should be perfect." Amara said eagerly.

"It should hold the heat well. The cloak is fireproof too so no danger of combustion." She nodded, getting on bane.

Amara nodded, climbing onto Stormfly. "Let's find a place we can keep this a secret, then." She said, urging Stormfly into the air.

"Lead the way." She said.

Amara nodded, thinking a bit, then remembering a spot even her dad didn't often think of. "I know the perfect place." She said, leading the way to a secluded cave a fair bit away from the dead mother, but also near enough to the cove to be overlooked if people started looking for them, and big enough for the dragons to enter. "This should do... inside that cave."She said, leading the way in on Stormfly.

Roxanna and bane followed her in, taking it slowly. Bane hissed quite a bit but Roxanna didn't answer him. "Think it's suitable?" She asked.

"Yeah... it's secluded, we won't be found out, and it's near enough to the cove that we'll know if people are looking for us, so when we go back to the village, they'll assume we were at the cove." She said softly. She then turned to Bane and showed him the egg.

"We need a nest, bane. Can you manage it?" Roxanna asked. Bane hissed a reply and touched the egg with his tongue curiously. After a moment he turned and spat up a good blob of amber then, using his muzzle, made an indent in the middle for the egg to sit in.

Amara smiled in thanks, thanking him verbally as well. Once it was fully hardened, she nodded, placing the egg inside it. "Ok, Stormfly. Can you heat it up a bit? Medium flame." The Nadder nodded, using a medium flame to heat the nest up enough to keep the egg sufficiently warm. "Thank you both for your help."

"Bane loves to be helpful as he loves praise. He'll happily do almost anything you ask." She shrugged.

Amara nodded. "Still, I'm grateful all the same. Let's head back to the village for lunch."

"Now that sounds like a plan. Right boy?" She smiled, patting Bane who hissed happily.

Amara smiled, climbing onto Stormfly and then flying with the girl she was seeing as more and more of a friend. When they got home, Lunch was a very tasty fish soup for the humans, for warmth, and Mutton was started to slow roast for dinner.

"Dinner smells good." Roxanna commented.

"Yeah. We always try to save the mutton for after the freeze... Our main sheep farmer, Sven, takes good care of the sheep. We usually only end up slaughtering a few for meat to preserve the herd... we have to have a lot of wool underclothing living here." She said with a smile. "I need to tend to the food and work on some Snoggletog gifts, so I'll probably be staying in until after dinner. Feel up to an evening flight after dishes instead tonight?"

"Sure. I think we can manage that." She smiled.

Amara nodded, shooing her mother out of the kitchen before going up to her room to grab a few things: the book from Gothi, a bundle of fabric, leather, and metal, a block of wood with a knife, and a small loom, as well as needle and thread. She passed the book to Roxanna as she opened the bundle first.

"And you said the old maid gave you this?" She asked as she felt the book, a slight frown gracing her brow.

"Yeah, on the last day of my lessons with her, about 4 years ago." Amara said.

"I see. Kinda surprising, it feels like new." She mused.

"I noticed... we've rarely been able to get new books, those we have gotten came from Trader Johann, and they're all hand-written in our script... but the script in this book is so different... I can tell there are words, but I can't read them at all."

"And she couldn't read it to you..." she said, more to herself.

Amara nodded, humming the affirmative, working with a strangely thin, yet strong fabric in the bundle while also not getting so distracted that she forgot to tend to the mutton.

Roxanna sat quietly and tried to concentrate on the book but reading raised words are difficult and after only a page she gave up.

Amara sighed. She'd known it was a long shot to be able to decipher the book, even with Roxanna's help. "This thing I'm working on is a joint present for dad and Toothless. They sometimes need to get somewhere because of chiefing issues really fast, and the heavier tail that Gobber made to replace the last one isn't quite cutting it... I've been experimenting with different fabrics...I think I found one as light and strong as Toothless' natural tail... I've even coloured it black. The rest of the bundle is a new saddle to go with the new tail."

"Oh? I'm sure they'll love it and it sounds incredibly useful." She smiled. Roxanna knew a bit about Christmas from school but, as her family didn't care for her, she was at a loss without actual experience. Snoggletog seemed to be the same as Christmas so she could only guess the similarities. People tended to exchange useless, unwanted presents for Christmas but Amara had put some thought into such a useful gift. What's more was that it was handmade.

"We usually tend to make gifts for Snoggletog by hand or by skill. Living like we do... it's mostly practical, useful gifts, too. I mean... there's not much use for things that are just for decoration here, except to show affection." She explained, finishing up the stitching on the tail and tending to the roast a bit. After that, she worked on matching the saddle fittings to match those of the one Toothless currently used. By the time dinner was ready, the saddle and tail were finished, tied with a bow, and hidden away back in her room.

Roxanna had long since given up on trying to 'read' the book. She sat there moving her hand a bit and whispering to herself. Even though she'd shrugged off the incident in the cave with Amara and Valka she wasn't sure exactly how she'd done 'lumos' without her wand.

Amara worked on carving workable, smooth as possible buttons from the block of wood. "What do people call 'the Gift' where you're from?"

"I don't know." Roxanna lied. If the girl could do magic like the old woman had said then that would make Amara a 'mudblood'. Roxanna hated the name but the thought of her family's anger towards her if they ever found out she'd befriended one wasn't worth thinking about. "Maybe that Gothi woman can tell you." She suggested.

"Maybe. We'll have to see tomorrow, after warming the egg for the morning. Have you had any ideas on the lesson plan you spoke with my dad about for Toothless?" Amara asked as she set the mutton aside to be carved when the others arrived.

"I'll need to learn how they fly together, what foot movements to make and such. That'll be the very minimum. But I don't know how much more I can do." She said thoughtfully.

Amara nodded in understanding. "Alright. Still, I'm sure they'll both be grateful for any help." she said softly, working on the side dishes, finishing it all up as the rest of the family arrived, and dinner was served.

Roxanna took a seat in silence, still trying to figure out what they expected her to teach toothless.

Hiccup smiled softly at her, something that was carried in his voice. "So...what have you noticed different about how Toothless behaves compared to the rest of his species?" Hiccup asked curiously.

"He's a bit more clumsy and noisy. He must have been practically a baby still when he first arrived here." She said softly, 'staring' at her plate as though in thought.

"According to my mother, relatively, he and I are the same age. I was about 15 when I shot him down... but he looked so alone and scared that I couldn't kill him. I saw myself in his eyes." Hiccup explained. "And of the dragons around Berk, he's usually the quietest and most graceful. If he would have been more so growing up with his own kind... it's hard to imagine."

"They're a generally mute dragon. To date, only three have ever been captured and all three escaped within an hour. Unharmed and without making a sound." She explained.

"Do they mostly communicate with sounds beyond human hearing, do you think, then?" Hiccup asked curiously, while Toothless seemed to hang on her every word, trying to take it in and learn, even now.

"It's unsure. We've never been able to get close enough to monitor them." She said, glad that she'd listened carefully to professor Weasly during one of his many, MANY, many excitable talks to the other teachers about the subject. Jo hung on his every word... even if she'd had to hide to do so, so as to not damage her family name any further.

"Huh... well, to be honest, we couldn't either... it was all 'kill on sight' for any kind of dragon... until Toothless." He said softly. "But Night Furies were known for their stealth until I managed to shoot him down. Until I had him tied up with a launched bola... nobody here had even seen one. Who knows... maybe humans are as scary to them as they are to humans?"

"Who knows? But I do know this much, with no disrespect to yourselves, the 'world' I'm from isn't so... primitive, and we've no idea on their numbers because they're so fast and such good escapists. We've tried everything to simply count their numbers, but even raider doesn't work for more than a second or twice." She said. "So this much is certain; if he'd grown even to a teen with his pod, you wouldn't have caught him."

Hiccup nodded, considering as he rubbed Toothless' head. "I guess all we can do is try to help him learn as much as we can about his kind... and hope instinct can do the rest."

"To give him the best chance to not be rejected, he should probably spend some time away from people. But it's too soon for that right now anyway." She said.

Hiccup nodded, sighing. "If only his other tail-wing hadn't been shredded... or if he'd accept the replacement I made so he could fly on his own... but every one I put on him, he breaks, ever since our first Snoggletog together. It's like he doesn't want me to worry about him like I did that first time, when he disappeared for a week to find my helmet when I lost it in the ocean."

"Or, he's scared without you. Back home we have a... stallion. He's in charge of his herd. But he'd rather be with people than his own kind. Toothless seems to prefer people to dragons." She said.

Hiccup sighed. "Bud..." Toothless cooed cutely, making Hiccup shake his head. "Please... try?" The dragon grumbled, his flicking 'ears' slapping his own neck quietly. "He does that when he gets sulky for some reason." Hiccup explained, not fully understanding the reason for the behaviour himself.

"Probably just a show of displeasure. Horses stamp their feet or swish their tails so it's possibly similar to that." She shrugged. "It won't be for a while anyway little guy. I need to learn about you first if you'll let me." She explained to the dragon. "Because of his... limitations, we'll still feed him and such but absolutely no touching skin to skin and only using clean, freshly washed clothes so we don't undo what's done."

Hiccup nodded in understanding. Toothless took a cue from Hiccup and cooed, pressing his nose to Roxanna's hand, showing he would let her get to know him and learn about him.

"We'll take it slow, don't worry." She soothed.

Hiccup chuckled. "Just make sure you let him know he doesn't need to 'share' his meals with you."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to remember that." She smiled. The thought of sharing a raw fish was certainly not appealing.

Toothless grumbled softly, but relaxed. "So... while you get to know him... maybe you should fly with him in the evenings? He loves night flights." Hiccup suggested.

"Sure. Makes no difference to me, day or night. But I want to be comfortable with the 'controls' first, if you get me." She said.

"Not a problem. Toothless?" The dragon cooed, nudging Roxanna towards his saddle and waiting for her to get on. Once settled, Hiccup showed her how the stirrup worked, and how to switch between the 6 positions, and what type of manoeuvrer each was used for. "I had a cheat sheet at first, but then I said 'screw it' and learned by Toothless' movements and intentions.

"Well there's nothing more I could do." She shrugged. "Cheaters never prosper." She added, triple checking her seating. Astrid had stood back to watch feeling smug as toothless stood perfectly still. He hadn't moved for her daughter and this girl was nothing special so toothless would totally show her up now! Or so Astrid thought until toothless started moving away. "Just once around the place and again the other way and we'll leave it there." She said patting toothless gently. Toothless took two leaps before taking off. Roxanna played it by ear, moving her foot according to toothless's movements.

Toothless enjoyed the evening flight, working with Roxanna and soaring into the guest room with her when they returned, quiet as a whisper. He cooed softly at her in a curious tone after she slid down.

"So, she is capable after all. I thought you two were just goofing off, especially when Fishlegs saw you just sat there and she was moving your leg." Astrid said as they watched toothless soar.

Hiccup blinked at overhearing that, before getting a distant look, as he often did when lost in thought. He remembered seeing every dragon she'd ever ridden on Berk approaching Roxanna to mount, instead of making her approach them. After a while, his eyes cleared. "Astrid... you said, she was moving Amara's leg?"

"That's what fishlegs told me." She confirmed. "How she expects you to learn to fly them by using your legs, I'll never know... but I'll give her this much; the girl can fly."

Amara noticed her father's dawning look at that confirmation. "Dad?"

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked too, recognising her husband's change. "Blind..." he uttered, more to himself at first then he looked at his daughter, "Roxanna is blind isn't she Amara?" He asked directly.

"Yeah... she is... from what I've gathered, as much as Grandmother's rescued Hobblegrunt." Amara said honestly, unable to lie to them.

Hiccup scowled in thought then nodded, "I think I should have a talk with Gothi soon." He mused. Astrid frowned but didn't ask. She'd learned a long time ago that it was safer to let hiccup follow his train of thought than ask about it, so she headed back inside.

"Goodnight, Dad...I have some more work on gifts to do before bed." Amara said softly, heading up to bed, picking up the loom and getting to work with it. She wanted Roxanna to really feel like a part of Berk, and she hoped this Snoggletog gift would help.

Roxanna dismounted and pet toothless before letting him head to bed and doing so herself.

Toothless fired a shot into the hearth in her room to keep her warm through the night before heading to find Hiccup.

Hiccup was looking through the book of dragons, reading up on the tunnelling type to see how they adapted... or that's what he had been doing before he fell asleep.

Toothless sighed, grumbling and slapping his neck with his ears before scooping Hiccup's sleeping form onto his back and carefully carrying his friend up to bed, nudging Astrid to get her help in getting Hiccup into bed. Amara, however, was up half the night weaving and sewing, but finally the last gift she'd had to finish was ready. She went to bed herself around midnight, and was, for once, still asleep when Roxanna got up.


	7. Failed fishing and Night flying

Roxanna tiptoed downstairs and sat in silence by the window, her back to the stairs, she was uttering incantations under her breath and practising hand movement's as though she had her wand. Doing magic without was pretty difficult and very tiring so for now she was just working on the movements and words. All the while, listening out carefully for anyone coming down.

Luckily for her, the first person to come down was still Amara, looking a bit worse for wear.

Roxanna quickly stopped and 'looked' back. "Morning." She smiled brightly.

"Morning, Roxanna." She said softly, still her cheery self, but a bit less energetic as she went out in her winter wear to collect breakfast for the dragons. "Toothless tends to get an itchy spot he can't reach right under his right ear... do you think anything with food could help with that?" She asked before opening the door.

"I honestly couldn't say. I'm not very good with the feeding side. With bane, it was a lot of trial and error." She explained.

"Dad got in a habit of...well, putting a variety of what we usually caught the most of in his basket... we tend to get a lot of Cod and Salmon here on Berk." She told Roxanna, even as Toothless came up to her, nuzzling her to try to ask her to scratch the spot Amara had told her about. "It tends to get worse for him in the cooler weather, but we're at a loss as to how to help him."

"Well... maybe he just needs more good oils in his food? They tend to help with dry skin." She mused.

"Alright, I'll try that with his breakfast today. Thanks, Roxanna." She said with a smile.

"No problem." She replied, letting Amara get on with it.

Amara nodded, walking her way down to the food storage to get everyone's breakfast. Toothless let out a grumbling sound, tapping Roxanna's arm with his right ear again, then cooing in a begging tone.

Roxanna gave in and gently rubbed his itchy spot.

Toothless cooed softly, leaning into her touch, showing just how much that simple touch helped him. It wasn't too long after that that Amara returned with food, setting it out for the dragons and proceeding to work on breakfast.

"It is strange that it's restricted to the one spot. I can't feel anything but if he had an injury there then it might itch from the skin tightening to close it. Otherwise it just feels dry to me. Like he needs a good mud bath." She told Amara.

"Unless we mix it ourselves, mud is rare on Berk." Amara said softly. "We can talk to Dad at breakfast, he likes Toothless as clean as a dragon can be, but he also wants Toothless healthy, so I'm sure if he knew a mud bath would help, he'd be all for it." She said, making a nice hot breakfast for the humans as Toothless, Bane, and Stormfly ate their own breakfasts.

"From what little evidence they've seen back home, they coat themselves in the mud through the day and it dries off and falls away by nightfall." Roxanna said thoughtfully.

"That would be perfect... Toothless seems more obsessed than other dragons... not just about mud, but cleanliness... could that be a hereditary thing, from his own kind?" She asked, setting the table as she heard her parents stirring upstairs.

Roxanna shrugged, " It's possible but I'm not entirely sure."

Amara nodded, dishing up breakfast as her family sat down for the joined them in silence.

Amara smiled at her father, telling him about Roxanna's idea. "If she and I can set up a mud bath for him in the Academy, could you bring him by, as long as we send you an 'Air Mail' when it's ready? She really does think it'd help with his itch under his ear: apparently, the wild ones bathe in mud early in the morning, and it dries and falls off by nightfall."

"I can't see the harm it could do..." Hiccup said while trying to silently move various things on the table closer to their guest, obviously suddenly more aware of Roxanna's disability.

Amara smiled softly, nodding. "Then we'll send you an Air Mail when it's ready, Dad. Thanks." Amara said softly, tending to eating her meal. She said softly.

Roxanna picked at her breakfast. She obviously couldn't see what hiccup was doing but she felt certain that he was moving things closer to her and it was, well, unnerving.

Amara noticed her demeanour, and looked over at her dad. "Anyway, Roxanna... how about we get started, after asking grandmother about a dragon for me to practice on today?"

"Sure. It'll be nice to stretch my legs." Roxanna smiled, leaving the rest of her breakfast.

At her grandmother's, Valka suggested that Amara take Skullcrusher. Eret had gone out to sea by ship and wasn't due back until Johann would come to port in 2 days. Once she was on the Rumblehorn, Amara nodded to Roxanna, and they headed first toward the cave beyond the cove, to check on the egg.

Roxanna dismounted and instructed Bane to heat up the amber. "Your folks were acting kinda... well... weird this morning. Is everything ok?" She asked as she let the dragons work.

"Dad has his weird days sometimes... he tends to get weird when he's trying to hide secrets, and today is his and Mom's anniversary, so who knows?" Amara said with a shrug. "I didn't sleep all that much last night... I was up until midnight working on a Snoggletog present."

"Ah, I see." She mused, petting Bane as he rejoined them. "So, shall we practice free flying today? No real guidance other than try stay close. Don't push yourself too hard to do crazy stunts but do push yourself enough to move around without me... if that makes sense.

"Yeah, but don't forget we also need to set up that mud bath for Toothless." Amara said, smoothing a hand gently over Skullcrusher's armour plates. "I do wonder, though...if you know of any species like Skullcrusher here where you're from, before we start? We call his kind a Rumblehorn. He's generally kind and protective, unless he smells a threat, then he's like a charging bull." She said as Skullcrusher went over to be in arm's reach of Roxanna.

"The description doesn't help much. All the dragons back home are very aggressive and attack to kill on sight or smell." She reminded her. "And the practice can be while we head to a suitable area for the mud bath." She added.

Amara nodded softly, sighing. "Still, I'm curious if his form is similar to any you know of. His kind has a very keen sense of smell, and their front half have large scales, almost like plate metal." She tried to explain another way.

Roxanna shook her head, "I'm not an expert, by a long shot. A teacher at my school back home would know easily, but I don't have a clue." She admitted.

Amara nodded in understanding, walking over and gently rubbing his nose horn, the dragon's eyes softening as she used her lessons so far in calming herself before climbing into his saddle. "Mum was surprised when Toothless took off for you last night."

"Really? Let me guess, she thought I was lying and we were just messing around?" She asked, getting on Bane.

Amara laughed lightly. "Something like that. Mum's head of the Berk Guard." She explained. "It's like our defence force." She added, guiding Skullcrusher outside, where he was eager to take to the air.

"Ah, so that's why she insisted I stay at her house." She said thoughtfully, though she was already mentally reminding herself to not let her secret out. Gothi might be comfortable being here with everyone but she didn't trust that they wouldn't turn on her. Years of bedtime stories about young witches being burnt at the stake still haunted her dreams.

"Yeah. Mum likes to make sure that newcomers won't harm everyone... be they on ships or on dragons, or what have you." Amara said, ready to take to the sky when Roxanna was.

Roxanna nodded in understanding before letting bane take to the sky. His wings stretched out like a butterfly, his tail like the tail of a kite in the breeze.

With barely any coaxing, Skullcrusher took to the sky as well. Amara took the first few moments to stay calm, evaluating how his temperament was different from the other dragons she'd been riding recently. She found he had a more powerful desire to follow most scents than Stormfly had, despite being of the same class. She had to keep him focused even more on what she'd wanted of him, a challenging task, as he was a stubborn individual.

Roxanna flew in silence, listening to Amara move around her, all the while wondering how she could possibly get home by herself.

Once Amara grasped the differences, she used what she'd learned to keep him focused, and managed... at least to the point that they were working together, anyway.

"You're getting a lot better." Roxanna said, smiling as she heard them pass over head.

"I'm starting to see what you mean, about staying me, and adjusting actions depending on the dragon." She said, beaming as she spoke softly to Skullcrusher about what they needed. The dragon started audibly sniffing, then roared, flapping eagerly. "I think he might have found a smell of some way to get enough mud to help Toothless, I should probably let him head on the way, now that he's focused, I think!"

"Great!" She smiled. Amara seemed to be getting it. She wondered if Amara would really be able to grasp her ideas. It was impossible to ride any dragon when thinking about another, so favouring one over another would instantly put you at a disadvantage. This was why she claimed to not be friends with bane. She loved him dearly. But once on him he was as wonderful as any other she could sit upon.

"Show us the way, Skullcrusher." Amara said, giving the Rumblehorn his head. As soon as he had this instruction, his focus lead them to the spot that, sure enough, had plenty of mud under the water's surface to, once heated, make a wonderful mud bath. "If we can fill the tub in the Academy with this, and heat it up, it'll be perfect, I think." She said when they arrived at the spot that Skullcrusher had tracked down.

"So next job is to go pick up the tub." Roxanna agreed.

Amara nodded in agreement, turning Skullcrusher towards the Academy. "Yeah, so to the academy! The sooner the mud is there, the sooner we can send the Air Mail to Dad, and from there, help Toothless!" She said, seeming happy.

"Exactly." Roxanna agreed, following suit with bane.

Once there, they grabbed a couple buckets for each of them, directing Skullcrusher to take hold of one side of the tub. Within a couple hours, they had the tub filled and heating in the Academy, and she called for a Terrible Terror, sending it to her father with a note in a way that may seem similar to another creature, though with less scales, to Roxanna.

"I hope I'm right about this. It won't do any harm to him but it will have been a real waste of time." Roxanna said as they waited.

There was an excited roar as Hiccup flew in on Toothless, just after Amara said that it was worth the try, at the very least. Toothless seemed confused at things, even while Hiccup took his saddle and prosthetic tail wing off. His confusion cleared up at Hiccup's pat and words. "Go ahead, Bud. This mud bath is for you." He cooed before jumping in, doing his best to cover everything. "Good job on the Air Mail... the Terrible Terror delivered it perfectly."Hiccup said with a smile.

Roxanna stood back with them, listening carefully to the content sounds that toothless was making. Bane was watching and 'helping' toothless.

Toothless cooed from time to time, especially when the mud washed over that one spot he could never reach, climbing out when it started to cool and he was covered all over. Hiccup smiled, thanking Roxanna for her suggestion. "I do hope this helps him." Amara smiled as the Night Fury laid down. "Air mail worked right, then?" she asked her father. "Yeah, the Terrible Terror brought the note right to me. They get better every time we ask it of them."

"You should probably nap until it dries, little guy. That's what the others do." Roxanna told Toothless while batting Banes's nose away.

Toothless yawned, curling up in his way, breathing a low level flame on the ground as he did. Hiccup chuckled. "He's always done that, even before he ever let me touch him."

"Must be something his mother did for him... or to replicate his pod sleeping around him." She shrugged.

"Maybe." Hiccup said, smiling at how much more relaxed Toothless seemed. It wasn't too long before the mud dried and fell away when he shook himself off. Hiccup beamed when he checked the usual problem spot. "I think that actually helped him! The spot was a lot drier than the rest of his skin, but the spot that was like that has been reduced to half the size it used to be!"

"If he bathes at least once a week, the problem will ease a lot." She smiled.

Hiccup nodded, smiling. "Hear that, Bud?" Toothless cooed, bounding to Roxanna and thanking her in his way, the way that always had Hiccup scolding him through reminding the Night Fury, 'you know that doesn't wash out!'

"Yeah... yeah... you're welcome." She said, chuckling softly though trying not to look too happy. It was the first time she'd laughed after arriving on berk and, if she was honest, it'd been the first time in a fair while overall.

Hiccup grinned. "It's rare that Toothless takes to another person... it's good to see him accept you."

"Oh... I'm nothing special. I just let them be themselves and don't ask much." She said shyly, a very light blush on her cheeks from the praise though she was frowning as though to stop it all.

"It's still good to see Toothless make a new friend." Hiccup said happily, working on putting the Night Fury's saddle and prosthetic tail wing back on, something that, by the sounds he made, had Toothless happily excited. "Don't stay out too late, girls. We need to gather what we can to barter with Trader Johann tomorrow, so we'll be ready when he docks the day after." Amara sighed. "We'll be home before dark, Dad." she promised.

"What do you guys trade with?" Roxanna asked as hiccup left. "And does it really take everyone to help?"

"Yeah, it does...and we trade with goods, like weapons, gems, fish, eggs, cloth...anything we make or grow that is surplus, we trade with Johann for stuff we can't get ourselves. Ink, or leather, or books, or plant seeds that are hard to breed, for instance. He's even started bringing this new foodstuff that is hard when you receive it, but becomes soft when left in boiling water." Amara explained.

"Oh. Sounds interesting." She said. So, what else do you want to do before heading back?" She asked.

"It might be a good idea to do some fishing to start a stock of food for when the egg hatches." Amara suggested.

"Sure... how do you go about doing that? You just leave the dragons to get on with it? Or what?" Roxanna asked, having never fished before.

"Usually, you get some kind of bait and a fishing rod, put the bait on the hook, and... wait for a bite. A lot of landing your catch is by the feel of tension on the line: let it out when you feel the fish fighting, reel in when you feel it tire. We could get my rod from home, borrow one from Mulch for you, and try it out in the cove." Amara suggested.

"I don't know... I don't think this is something I'd very good at." Roxanna said doubtfully.

"You never know unless you try, right? And I'll be here to help you get started."

"I guess..." she shrugged.

Amara nodded, smiling. "It'll be ok, Roxanna. Don't worry about it." she said softly.

"I worry about everything. Its just a bad habit." She smiled nervously.

"It'll be fine, I promise." Amara said as they flew back to her home, grabbing her rod and the bait. After explaining things to Mulch, he was more than happy to loan Roxanna a rod, and before they knew it, Amara had baited the hooks and had Roxanna facing the water of the inland cove, and instructed her on casting. "Once the line's in the water, it's mostly feeling the tension on the line, if you feel a strong pull after a few light ones, you've most likely hooked a fish. That's when you pull and use what you feel to reel it in."

Roxanna didn't look confident but agreed to try it.

Amara smiled as Roxanna's line hit the water. "Just like you taught me for dragons...calm yourself and just FEEL." She said, casting a few feet away, so as to not distract any fish near Roxanna's line with a second offer.

Roxanna sat in silence. After what felt like forever, and after hearing Amara reel in several, she finally got a bite. Unfortunately upon reeling it in, it turned out to just be an old boot. This had bane in hysterics. He'd obviously learned to mimic the human laugh and was rolling around on his back giggling uncontrollably. The sight itself was pretty hilarious but Roxanna didn't look impressed.

"That happens to the best of us sometimes, especially when we're first starting out." Amara reassured Roxanna. "I must have fished out enough old boots when I started to last the village for a lifetime, Just keep trying." She said, deciding to not distract the fish at all and take a break from fishing herself a bit before helping Roxanna re-bait the hook and cast again, even as Skullcrusher gave Bane a warning glare.

Roxanna kept trying but hadn't caught anything else by the time they were due to go back. She pulled the line in and put the rod down carefully. "Well, at least I tried." She said.

"Yeah, you did...and even the most skilled fishers in the village have a day where the fish just won't bite." She said reassuringly, putting the fish she'd caught in a bucket of salt to preserve them for when the egg hatched. After having the dragons warm the nest one more time, Amara was set, flying home with Roxanna.

"So do you trade anything, personally, with... Johann was it?" Roxanna asked as they flew home.

"Yeah, I do...He says that the woollen cloth I make does real well in other areas he visits. Unlike a lot of wool clothing, where people just make yarn and knit it? I actually weave the wool into a soft cloth...it's still amazingly warm, but it's not as itchy. I have a few bolts up in my room, I can let you feel one before bed, if you'd like?" Amara offered.

"Sure. It'll be interesting." She replied as they closed in on the village.

Amara smiled, smelling the air. "Smells like Dad finished work early and was actually able to cook for us tonight... I don't know why my father's a better cook than my mother or gran, but... he taught me to cook."

"Just be thankful. Nobody I'm related to cooks at all." She said.

"I am thankful, it's just...very different from the rest of the families on Berk." She said as they arrived.

"Sometimes, different is good. If I weren't different from the rest of my family you'd all be dead and that includes the dragons." She shrugged.

"I hadn't meant it as anything bad. It's the only way I've ever known, I've just been curious as to the why." She tried to explain as they headed inside.

"Have you tried asking? I hardly know them but they seem pretty open about everything." She suggested as she followed Amara.

Amara shrugged with a 'maybe' type hum before smiling. "Dinner smells great, Dad!"

"You think? I just decided to throw some things together." Hiccup replied, humming to himself as he cooked.

"Yeah, it does. I'm gonna show Roxanna the cloth I've been weaving for the trades, Dad. We'll be down when Dinner's ready." She promised.

"Ok then." He smiled. Roxanna followed Amara upstairs.

Once they made it to Amara's room, she opened up a special storage chest and pulled out a bolt of cloth she'd made, bringing it over to let Roxanna feel it.

"Ooh... that feels nice." She said, touching it carefully.

Amara smiled. "I card the wool for quite a while, after washing it, before I spin the thread from it, and then weave that thread into cloth. It takes about a moon cycle for one bolt of cloth to finish... I have this one and 10 more in a chest to use for trade... I hope he has some of that fine, supple leather this time."

"Oh? And what will you use that for?" She asked.

"The way we usually make winter clothing is with Wool cloth on the inside to insulate, and then leather on the outside, to guard against the bitter cold wind. One of the Snoggletog gifts I'm making for someone is a full set of Berk-made winter clothing. I've finished the wool layer, but I need the supple leather to fully finish the gift."

"Oh I see. Makes sense to make them that way. I'm surprised that with so much inspiration you're not a dressmaker." She said. "I'd love a set of dress robes from the wool you've spun. It's pretty cold back home, not like here, but still it'd be nice. Maybe I could commission something from you once I can get home." She said.

"I do have some that I won't be trading. I could probably make you a set if you explain the fit you want." She said with a smile. "I don't usually have much to do on the day before Trader Johann comes, because I prepare for that day for the entire year leading up to it."

"Well... robes are like very long coats, sometimes with hoods, with pockets inside and out. But unlike coats they're not often taken off and can be worn indoors... a bit like an apron. Some you can even slip straight on like a dress, with no opening at the front. They always come in black unless they're dress robes." She tried to explain.

Amara nodded, pulling a piece of paper and a makeshift pencil, made of charcoal, flax thread, and wood, toward her. "Ok, I think I understand. Is there anything in style you'd like, or colour you'd want it?" She asked, sketching very lightly as she worked with Roxanna for a design.

"I can't really remember colours that well. I just relay what people have said. I guess darker colours like black and red...?" She mused.

Amara nodded, making notes on this and sketching out a rough design. "Well, I can work on the design tomorrow, and see if Trader Johann has what I'll need for dyes...it'll take me at least a moon cycle or two, because I'll have to dye the wool after I wash and card it... but I don't think it'll be too much of a problem." She said with a soft smile. "Making you these 'dress robes' is the least I can do to thank you for how much just your friendship and helping me with... well, everything, has done for me." Amara said honestly.

"I'm not really doing anything Amara. People aren't normally interested in me, I'm a very plain girl with nothing remarkable about her so nobody takes notice." She shrugged.

"You saved my grandmother's blinded Hobblegrunt, you've been helping me learn to ride dragons, you found a way to help Toothless with that one itchy spot he can never reach, you brought peace to that poor Thunderdrum... and you've managed to tame and raise a dragon nobody on Berk has ever been able to... a Deathsong. Strangely, most of the other teens in Berk seem to avoid me, so...yeah, having a human friend means a lot to me. If I can help you with something you can use even when you journey home, it'll be worth it."

"I've only done what people have asked me to do. I pitied the Thunderdrum, and taming Bane was purely accidental. Please don't put me on a pedestal when I'm only just average." She pouted, clearly not used to any sort of praise. "But I would be honoured to wear anything made for me." She added.

Amara smiled as she heard her father calling them. "You've changed at the very least my life for the better, Roxanna... I'd be happy to make you the dress robes you asked for." She said, opening the door and allowing Roxanna through before heading downstairs with the girl.

Roxanna didn't smile as she went downstairs to dinner. She felt quite confused after hearing what Amara had said. She'd been blind ever since she could remember and, as she was mostly ignored by her family, she had always assumed she'd been ignored by everyone unless spoken to directly. So it was surprising to find someone think even remotely highly of her when she was just being herself. 'Perhaps', she thought, 'perhaps I should be myself and speak up more at school... maybe I could make a friend...'. She sat at the table and waited for everyone to be seated.

Once everyone had taken their seats, dinner was served, and Amara smiled as they began to eat.

As always, Roxanna was silent as they ate and, like before, hiccup and Astrid were moving things closer to her. They were obviously not very good at pretending to not know about her lack of sight.

Amara rolled her eyes at the fails from her parents at subtlety, and Toothless nudged Hiccup in the back out of frustration. After they'd finished eating, the Night Fury gently cooed at Roxanna, hopefully moving towards her. He'd enjoyed their flight the previous night, and was hoping she'd fly with him again.

"What's up?" She asked him, rubbing his head gently.

Toothless cooed again, nudging her toward his saddled back before he let out a hopeful purr.

"Erm... is it ok if I take him out? Amara can join me on Bane if she wants?" Roxanna asked.

Hiccup smiled. "That's fine. I haven't had the energy to fly at night lately, and he's been really missing it." Amara was interested to see what quirks she'd need to adapt to for riding with Bane, so she smiled at this prospect.

"Well... do you want to join us Amara?" She asked. Bane watched them, tilting his head this way and that.

"Yeah, I've wondered since I started really learning what quirks I'd have to adapt to." She said with a soft smile.

"Well he certainly is quirky, no doubt about that." She said as she headed outside, being nudged by toothless and bane following behind.

Amara shook her head. "Toothless, manners." The Night Fury cooed, doing his best to calm and not push Roxanna.

Bane was bouncing about in excitement as they got outside. Roxanna got on Toothless and waited for Amara. Bane bowed down to make it easier for her to get on.

Amara smiled, staying calm as she thanked Bane and climbed into the saddle, doing her best to follow the instructions that Roxanna had been giving her since they started.

Bane was, as to be expected, quite different to the others. He took off a little awkwardly but flew smoother than even toothless. This was probably down to having Roxanna as his rider. If she'd had to teach him to fly from a hatchling then that explained the bumpy take off... and how does a human teach a dragon to fly anyway? He was a lot more temperamental than Toothless too. The slightest move from Amara and he'd move. Fortunately she didn't have to keep him focused but it was more difficult compared to the others she'd flown.

Amara did her best to adapt and fly with Roxanna as she took Toothless on his night-time flight. She wasn't riding anywhere near as well as Roxanna could, of course, but she was at least keeping up as best as she could.

"How about a barrel roll? Just lean as though you're going to fall off over the side and see what he does." Roxanna called, showing her with toothless. Toothless tilted to the side too until he'd twisted 360 around and she was sat upright again. "You can do forward rolls that way too." She said.

Amara was a bit nervous for a moment before she managed to calm herself and follow Roxanna's instruction. However, when the manoeuvrer had been completed, she wondered why she hadn't thought to try it before. It had been amazingly fun, but she could see it being difficult for dragons with shorter wings to pull off safely.

The longer she was on bane, the easier it was to see why they worked so well. Roxanna didn't consider him a friend simply because their relationship was more of a partnership. Roxanna had obviously raised him, so he viewed her as his alpha. And in return, he guided her and offered her support which she obviously never received at home. "Liberating isn't it?" She called over to Amara.

Amara nodded, smiling. "Yeah, it really is... it could be quite dangerous to try on a dragon with small wings for it's size, though... like a Gronckle, for example."

"Depends. It'd just have to be a smaller roll. But it'd be a good thing for them to all know, so they can right their rider if they falter." She shrugged.

"True enough on that." Amara agreed, seeing Roxanna's point. They spoke on a fair few other things during the flight before heading back inside and to bed. Tomorrow would be a full day, with their secret and helping to prepare for Trader Johann's arrival.

Roxanna was all for sleep after the flight. The night air really took it out of you, especially with the colder weather setting in so it didn't take long to drift off.


	8. Colds and practice for 'Precious'

The day started as usual, since Amara wasn't up much later after they got back.

Roxanna wasn't sure if it was because of the change in weather or if she was becoming ill, but either way she did not want to get up when the light started to filter through her windows.

Amara walked up, soothing Bane as she gently laid a hand on Roxanna's forehead, as she'd seen both her parents do to her or each other at times to check for any kind of fever. "She's burning up... we need to find out what's wrong." Amara said, careful to try to let Roxanna sleep. "Bane, please, try to ensure she stays comfortable? I'm gonna go talk to dad... Gothi's our healer, she'll be able to tell us what to do... at least, as far as I can tell, she's just got a fever... there's no hallucinations or explosive cough... so hopefully it's not Eel Pox." She said, heading downstairs, visibly panicked.

Bane cooed, probably agreeing with her and continued to keep guard over his mistress.

Amara was slightly out of breath from panic. "Dad, Roxanna's burning up... I think we should call on Gothi, just to be safe... do you mind if I borrow Toothless to go get her?" She asked, the worry clear on her face.

"Sure, you know where to find her?" He asked, getting up and whistling for toothless who soon came padding through the door.

"Yeah, I know, this time of day, like most any, she's up in her hut. Thanks, Dad... be back soon." She said, rubbing Toothless' head before she got on. "C'mon... Rox isn't doing well, Toothless. We need to get Gothi." She said, opening his tail fin. Her lessons with Roxanna were paying off, as she was able to stay calm and read what Toothless needed from her now, unlike before. They soon had arrived, and she thanked Toothless as he landed before she knocked on Gothi's door, explaining the situation to the respected elder and before long they were back home, Amara leading the way up to the guest room.

Roxanna was still sleeping silently and bane was watching over her being surprisingly calm and behaved.

Amara still seemed nervous as Gothi examined her. When the elder spoke, as she was now able to, it was slower than the other time Amara had heard her. "Just keep her comfortable and make sure she gets the best food for this as possible, Amara Haddock. It's just a cold, she'll be better in time for Snoggletog." Amara breathed a sigh of relief at that. "Alright, thank you, Gothi. I was worried about her as a friend."

Bane purred his thanks too though he didn't seem to care too much. Dragons seem to have a sixth sense about these things. While they're sympathetic to their riders emotions, they seem quite capable of telling if somebody is pretending to be ill or the degree of illness.

Gothi nodded, and as Amara worked on making something for Roxanna downstairs as Hiccup smiled after hearing the news and headed to take Gothi home. When Amara came up around noon with a home-made chicken soup, with the last they had of what Johann had called "noodles" in it, she smiled at Bane. "Can you help me wake her? She missed breakfast, and Dad gave me permission to stay home and take care of her... we'll have to tend to the egg later, but for now, I want to make sure to get something into her. I see her as a friend, Bane." She said softly, speaking to the Deathsong as she would to any human.

Bane tilted his head and cooed then started nudge Roxanna's hand, breathing warm air through his nose, creating steam that drifted through her fingers. Roxanna grumbled, rolled into her side and slowly opened her eyes sleepily.

Amara stood beside her. "Hey... hope you get well soon... I would have let you sleep, but you do need to get some food in you. Feel up to sitting up?" She asked, holding a tray with the bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup.

Roxanna didn't look impressed but hardly any people are impressed when being woken up. Bane pushed her 'helping' her to sit up. "Thanks..." she managed to croak through what sounded like a pretty sore throat.

Amara nodded, gently placing the tray over Roxanna's lap. "You're welcome... Dad actually gave me leave to not go with the rest of the village to take care of you, today. I'll take a quick trip to tend to the egg for today while you eat, but I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise." She said softly.

"Na, you should go. Bane can take you. Its just a cold. I just want to sleep." She yawned.

"Ok... just make sure to eat your soup, ok? We'll be back."

"Yeah, don't worry." She nodded.

Amara nodded. "Alright, we'll be back as soon as we can, just get your rest. Mum left Stormfly, and even taught her to fetch small things like water mugs, so if you need anything like that, you can ask Stormfly for help, ok?" She said softly, double-checking to make sure Bane's saddle wouldn't slip, but was comfortable for the dragon.

Bane hissed, looking back at his mistress. Roxanna hissed back. "I'll be fine." She said to Amara. Once Amara was in the saddle, bane took off into the sky.

Amara sighed, staying calm like Roxanna had taught her before guiding Bane back toward the cave by the cove and asking him to warm up the amber again after checking on the egg. Besides slight movements within, the egg was still. "A couple more days at least, I think..."

Bane nodded in agreement, chirping softly.

She smiled softly as they headed out after the nest was warmed back up. "Thanks for your help, Bane. Let's get back to Roxanna, huh?"

Bane looked back along the coast, towards where the trader was with the town's folk. Amara had been on about it for a while so bane knew it was important to her.

"You don't mind making sure she stays comfortable, and getting me if she needs another bowl of soup, since I left it on a hot plate to stay warm?" She asked him. "I'd trade my wool cloth for the dies she asked for, some leather, and some things I could trade with Sven for more wool to be able to make those 'dress robes' she asked me to make."

Bane hissed like a snake and nodded, his wings fluttering.

She nodded, scratching him in what seemed his favourite spot in thanks after they landed back in Roxanna's room. "Alright, Bane. I'll be back soon." She promised, heading to her room and grabbing the chest of cloth before heading down to the docks as fast as she could. Once there, she was surprised at how little Johann made her haggle to get what she needed, even for this time of year. It still took her a few hours, but she had the dye, leather, and fresh-sheared wool from Johann and Sven filling her chest in place of the wool cloth. She poked her head in to let Bane know she was back, then went to work on finishing the outfit she'd started before, using the leather to apply a wind-proof outer layer to the outfit.

In Amara's absence, Roxanna had managed to eat the food left for her. She was still fast asleep as bane curled up by her bed.

It took until dinner time, but Amara finally finished her gift, and wrapped it up. She started cooking immediately afterwards.

Even as the rest of the family came home, Roxanna still didn't come down. Gothi had said that it would be best to let her sleep it off though, and with bane watching her closely, there was no use worrying.

Amara fixed up a plate, asking Toothless to heat the hot plate with a low flame. After the family ate, she headed up with Roxanna's dinner. "Rox? I brought dinner." She said softly, knowing how bad noises effected her when she came down sick.

"Thanks... I'll eat it later..." she uttered from under the blankets.

Amara nodded. "There's another bowl of soup, but also a cut of mutton... try to eat it before it gets cold, ok?" She said softly.

"... kay" she muttered, pulling the covers tighter around herself.

Amara smiled. "Rest well, Rox... I'll check in in the morning."

Roxanna didn't reply as she'd fallen back asleep. Bane chirped a good night to Amara and settled down beside his mistress.

Amara smiled, leaving Bane his dinner, too before going to her room and settling down to sleep. She hoped that Rox would get better soon, sending up a silent prayer to the gods as she drifted off to sleep to that effect.

Thanks to her long sleep, Roxanna woke up earlier the next day. She yawned, stretched and felt generally better though her throat still hurt.

Amara peeked in on them on the way downstairs. "Hey, feeling any better?" She asked on noticing Rox was awake this time.

"Yeah, much. Thanks." She said, stretching and getting out of bed. "Sorry to trouble you." She said.

Amara smiled softly. "It's no trouble... what are friends for? Mother traded some of her own tempered weapons for a year's worth of honey and dried chamomile... I could make you some Chamomile tea with honey for your throat, if you'd like?"

"I don't want to be a bother... but I would appreciate a hot drink." She said.

"I told you, it's no trouble or bother, Rox. You're my friend... if you can't help your friends in some way, what else makes life worth living?" She asked, preparing a bag of Chamomile and other herbs while putting a kettle on for the tea and also working on breakfast while waiting for the water.

"How much honey would you like? Mother swears by Chamomile Tea with Honey for a sore throat."

"Just a spoon will be fine, thanks." Roxanna smiled.

Amara nodded, working on breakfast until the kettle whistled, setting the herbal tea to steep while she finished, then adding and stirring in a single spoonful of honey and serving the cup to her friend with her breakfast.

"Thanks. I feel better already. Did you two manage with the egg yesterday?" She asked.

"Yeah. It should hatch tomorrow at the earliest, actually." She said softly. "Bane also insisted I run to do my trading, I was able to haggle for enough stuff to get the wool I need to make the cloth for your dress robes, too, as well as the dye. Once I wash and card and dye the wool I got yesterday, I can start weaving the cloth to use."

"Great. Just let me know if I can help you with anything." She said, sipping her tea.

"Will do, don't worry about that." She said softly, heading out to get the dragons' breakfast.

Roxanna sat with bane and ate her breakfast, trying to ignore the close eye the dragon was keeping on her.

Amara was soon back with breakfast for the dragons.

Bane only left Roxanna when he heard Amara return with the food.

Amara giggled as her parents came down as well, and everyone enjoyed their own breakfasts.

Roxanna was silent as ever. She never did find it easy to talk to people in a group.

Amara smiled softly. "I'm glad you're feeling better, and that it was just a cold. I was afraid of it ending up being Eel Pox... the village usually has an outbreak during devastating Winter."

"Eel pox? Sounds ghastly." She said with a slight frown.

"Yeah, it's pretty nasty. It starts like a cold, with a really high fever... but then there is also a really explosive cough, and hallucinations in some people." Amara said. "Dragons can even get it if they eat an eel, except for two species we know of. An alternative for dragons for prey for wild Deathsongs are giant eels... the other species that actively eats them are the Typhoomerangs."

"That sounds very ghastly indeed." She said looking like she had a bitter taste in her mouth at the thought of the illness.

"Yeah. The whole reason we call it Eel Pox is because of the central ingredient to making the medicine to treat the illness." Amara said. "The blood of a specific species of Eel called a 'blood-bane eel'. There are a lot of other hard to acquire ingredients that mix with that blood to make the medicine you have to take to help your body properly fight off the ailment. And strangely, it doesn't seem that you can build an immunity... you can be immune for a year or two at most before you can catch it again." She explained gently. "But if it had turned out to be Eel Pox instead of a cold, I would have travelled all over the archipelago to get the ingredients for the medicine."

"Well, I'm most glad it isn't. I dare say bane would have carried you there and back again, trying to do so in one go." She said, rubbing bane's head as he pushed against her hand.

"Yeah, I can see that happening. He really seems to love you, as if you were part of his own blood family." Amara said softly. "He looks after you like Toothless and Stormfly do for us." she said, her parents agreeing with her statement.

"I'm all he's known so it's to be expected." She shrugged but did smile slightly.

Amara nodded. "Dragons are really amazing... I'm glad to live here, where we live together in peace." She said softly, finishing her breakfast.

Roxanna nodded but said nothing more as she finished her drink.

Amara smiled, putting the dishes up. "Usual training spot today, Rox?"

"Can do. Its all the same to me." She said honestly. She'd never had anyone shorten her name like that before. Sure, she'd usually be called 'Black' but anything other than her full first name simply wasn't done. Even so, she thought it was quite nice... even though it wasn't her real name.

Amara smiled as they passed a friend of her father's on the way outside. "Morning, Heather. You and Windshear don't visit Berk that often any more." She said softly in greeting, even as the Razorwhip sniffed curiously at Roxanna and Bane.

Bane pulled a face at the dragon and stood behind Roxanna, like a child afraid to be told off for teasing.

Amara smiled. "She won't hurt you, she just wants to say hello." said the black-haired and green-eyed woman to the Deathsong. She turned to the girl the dragon seemed to be hiding behind. "You must be some rider to have been able to train a Deathsong... and quite a singer... we had trouble with a baby Deathsong quite a few years ago... only way to keep it from crying was to sing to it... Hiccup tries to forget about it." She said as Windshear tried to figure out this cloudy-eyed human.

"I don't know about that... I just found his egg so he's probably just imprinted on me or something." Roxanna shrugged, pushing banes's tickling tongue away from her ear.

"That's quite possible... the baby Deathsong at Dragon's Edge seemed to have imprinted on me, too... it was calmest when I sang, and it even challenged an adult to protect me." She said with a smile, smothering a giggle as Windshear nudged Roxanna's hand. "I'm sorry... Windshear is very friendly and curious, if amazingly protective of me."

"So I see." Roxanna said, rubbing the dragons head gently in small circles. "It's character sounds a lot like stormfly, but probably rides more like bane..." she mused, speaking more to Amara here.

"I've been on her double with Heather before... Windshear actually is similar in flight to Bane... but she can keep up with Toothless at his top speed." Heather blinked. "I got a Terror Mail from Hiccup... are you the young lady who's been training Amara in riding dragons?" She asked kindly.

"I guess so..." Roxanna replied, not exactly sure how she should feel or what hiccup had said about her.

Heather's friendly smile was evident in her voice. "I think it's great that Amara found a friend who can help her out. I'm gonna be sticking on the ground for a while, and Windshear could use a workout, so you can borrow her today, if you'd like. Hiccup had nothing but praise for how kind and helpful you've been."

"Oh... well... thank you very much." She replied. Bane stuck his tongue out at them behind her back.

Windshear blinked her long-lashed eyes at him before basically copying him, which made Amara giggle.

"Well, we should get on while the day is young. Thanks again for the loan." Roxanna said before starting to head off.

Amara nodded, thanking Heather as well, even as Windshear crouched to let her on. Once settled, the girls left together, Amara using all she'd been learning lately to work with Windshear.

Roxanna let Amara lead the way. There wasn't much more she could teach her. Now it was all about practice.

It didn't take long for them to reach the cave, where Amara guided Windshear to the nest, the egg glowing more than before. "Yeah... it should hatch tomorrow." She said, nodding and turning to Windshear. "Can you heat the nest with a low flame, please?" The Razorwhip growled softly before doing as asked, a couple seconds all it took for it to be heated enough for a full 24 hours. After Amara thanked her, the girls headed out for some more practice. Amara used all the different tricks and stunt flying that Rox had taught her during the days practice, ending up back home in time for lunch. "I need to get to work on washing, carding, dying, spinning, and weaving the cloth for your dress robes, I'd like to spend the afternoon on that, Rox." She said with a smile.

"Of course." She replied, walking back inside behind Amara with bane following closely. The deathsong had really been trying to show off since Amara had started to try out different tricks with Windshear, as though needing to prove to everyone that he was better.

Windshear let out a soft noise, nudging some of her lunch, a couple extra greens, toward Bane, which made Heather, who was visiting the family laugh. "Roxanna, I think Windshear likes your Deathsong's company. She doesn't often share her meals with other dragons unless she wants to be their friend." She said with a smile audible in her voice.

"Bane, be nice..." Roxanna said softly to the deathsong who looked grumpily back at the humans then, begrudgingly, dumped a mouth full of greens in front of Windshear.

Windshear seemed to smile, nudging Bane affectionately and seeming happy to have a friend. Heather smiled. "I'm travelling around so much... Windshear doesn't get to spend much time with other dragons." She explained to Roxanna. "I told Hiccup, but since you're Bane's human, you should know, too... black is a very rare colour for Deathsongs... and the Dragon Hunters have a client who has paid them to capture a black Deathsong."

"Well, thanks for the warning, but we're not afraid of anyone. Still, we'll be cautious so don't trouble yourself." She said.

"That was the reasoning... but be extra careful. Viggo is leading this expedition himself, and he's ruthless." Heather said, which in turn made Amara nervous, but after they ate, she headed up to her room with a heated washbasin of soapy water to wash the wool.

Roxanna didn't feel threatened but she'd had to learn to be brave in that she couldn't see what she should be afraid of. Nervous? Yes she'd been nervous. Worried? Yes, that too. Anxious even? Oh yeah, especially before a test. But scared and threatened? No. Still, she sat quietly with bane, mentally preparing herself just in case.

Heather smiled softly at the Deathsong and his human, hoping nothing would happen, and glad to have at least warned them, before heading out to help with preparing the Great Hall. Snoggletog celebrations were the day after next, after all, and everything had to be ready.

Roxanna let everyone get on with their afternoon, deciding to go out on her own with bane. They took it slow but high so nobody would notice them hissing to each other as though in conversation. The truth is that they were speaking through a common, rare language. Parseltongue. A language spoken by snakes and reptiles primarily. It seemed that, being basically of the reptile family, dragons could also speak it. Roxanna had unfortunately been born with the ability to speak it fluently. For the first seven years of her life, it'd been the only language she'd been able to speak. Further more, it was also still linked more closely with being a dark one. Currently they were trying to decide the best way to get home.

Amara flew out on Windshear again, looking for them once dinner was ready.

By now, Roxanna and bane had landed on a cliff and were deep in discussion. Bane wasn't happy with the threat looming that Heather warned about. He'd much rather go and find the threat and crush it, than wait and see. Roxy agrees, she'd also prefer to take out the threat. But she also doesn't want the villagers to be in any danger... or for them to find out about her secret.

Amara continued searching, calling out as loudly as she could for them. "Rox! Bane! Dinner's set and ready, we're waiting for you!" She called out as best as she could over the wind of Windshear's speed.

Bird like song rose in echoes from the cliffs where Roxanna and bane had stopped. He was signalling to Amara that they were there and had heard her as they took off and joined up with her. "Sorry, I was seeking council. How's the egg?" She asked when close enough to not have to shout.

"It'll likely hatch around mid-morning tomorrow. I'm glad Johann usually throws in some extra fish and other dragon food with the trades I make with him. Once we find out it's gender... we'll have to come up with a name... and we should probably be there well before it hatches... which means we'll have to be up and eaten and at practice before Mother and Father get up." She said softly.

"Practice? You think you really need more training to ride?" She asked looking quite confused. Unlike the villagers, it was now obvious that Roxanna had never doubted Amara or her abilities. She was had to read and sometimes sarcastic and perhaps a bit aloof. But now it was clear that if nobody had insisted that Amara couldn't fly, Roxanna would have happily put her straight on Bane. It was also clearer now why Roxanna had insisted she wasn't friends with the dragon. They weren't friends. They were too close for that, like hiccup and toothless. She'd probably been around bane since a young kid but obviously didn't have the freedom to speak her mind. So bane couldn't be classed as family either... though he certainly was more like her protective big brother.

"Not really, but I don't think that the rest of the village will believe it until I am confidently soaring on my own dragon, so until my Thunderdrum is big enough and strong enough to carry me, that's the cover story, at least." Amara said softly. "I've been thinking about the behaviour you described from the dragons in the land you call home...do you think it could be something like a memory that's become instinct for them, like self-preservation?" She asked curiously. Having grown up around dragons, she was really hoping there was some kind of evolutionary reason for dragons elsewhere to behave as if they were still at war with humans.

"Probably. There's only so much I've been able to find out... not a lot of books cater for the blind." She smiled slightly. "It's so frustrating. There's at least two people at school I could get a good answer from... but school is hundreds if not thousands of miles away." She sighed. "I don't have friends but I do miss it." She admitted.

"Do you... have any pictures of what these people look like in your things? We could try Terror Mail, they're very smart. You could write the note, tie it to one of a Terrible Terror's hind legs, and show it the picture of the person you want to write to ask about it, and they could deliver it and wait for a reply."

"Yeah-No... being blind... kinda makes pictures useless." She said with a slightly embarrassed blush.

Amara nodded. "Well, it was worth a shot, to get the advice, you know?" She said softly, flying back towards home.

"I might be able to figure it out once I get back home." She said as they followed her.

"Alright, I'll work on those dress robes you asked for, and if you're home by the time I finish them, I'll do all I can to deliver them myself, ok?"

"Sure... I'll be sure to tell you where to send them before I leave." She nodded.

Amara smiled. "Sounds good." She said as they started down for a landing.

"Yeah... maybe you could even visit when I'm older and have my own place." She said as she got off bane.

"Maybe. You're really the first friend I've ever made...I'd hate to fall out of touch." She said, checking the food was still hot as they sat down to dinner.

"Oh I wouldn't worry about keeping in touch. That part would be easy enough." She said.

"Good to know." Amara said, settling in to eat.

Roxanna sat at her usual spot as Amara's family joined them and soon they started eating. Roxy was silent like always.

Hiccup smiled. "The pod, as you called them, of Night Furies is set to fly within 3 hours north of Berk in 3 weeks... we've had Gustav and his Monstrous Nightmare, Fanghook, tracking them on their migration path for a few years. How long before their rest on the outer mud flats should we separate Toothless from us to help him be ready to meet them?"

"The longer we leave him the better chance he'll have." She said simply.

Toothless cooed sadly, but understandingly at the same time. "Not tomorrow night, but the night after, is Snoggletog... we'll take him out to an isolated place the next day." Hiccup said softly. "I'm just worried he'd be lonely out there for so long."

"He can have a fellow dragon with him for the first week or two. But the week after that he'll have to be alone. It'd encourage him to call out to them." She said.

Toothless sighed, not liking it, but understanding. Then, making sounds the rest of those who knew him had never heard before, he asked Roxanna if he would have to wear the tail that let him fly on his own, or if he could have her or Amara with him the first time he flew with the other Night Furies.

Roxanna blushed and uttered back at him in a very low tone, hoping nobody at the table would notice. "Preferably, alone. But if needs be, we can fly alongside." She hissed back.

He nodded softly, cooing in understanding. He didn't like the idea of using that tail, he'd been gone so long last time, Hiccup had been scared. But if he had to, he'd use it.

Roxanna finished eating and took her plate to the sink to clean up.

Amara helped Rox out, and the girls soon bid goodnight to Amara's parents.

"Think I'm going to call it a night Amara." Rox yawned as she got near the guest room.

"Same. Night, Rox. Sleep well."

"You too." She replied before closing the guest room door with a huge sigh and slumping to the floor. Bane tilted his head as he watched her curiously. "What's the matter now?" He hissed softly. Roxanna glared at the direction the hissing came from. "As though you don't know." She snapped. "They didn't seem to notice, precious..." he hissed. "Noticing and commenting are two different things Beau... you wouldn't understand." She sighed. "I understand it upset you... and yet you replied politely in our tongue... why was that precious?" He hissed again. Roxanna glared but was too tired to argue so got into bed. She regretted letting him watch the Lord of the Rings films with her 4 years back. Before then he'd called her mama. That has annoyed her. Then it'd been Lady Black, like the house elves had. That too has been frustrating. But this, being called 'precious', was worse.


	9. Helmets for stockings?

Amara, to her surprise, woke with Toothless on the platform in her room, a note from her father on her bedside table, saying Toothless should have one more day with her, besides Snoggletog, before his separation from the humans he saw as family. Amara smiled, though she'd just woke, and rubbed the Night Fury's head before they over to wake Roxanna for their early breakfast.

Roxanna was up for once and sat by the window, bane curled round her with his head on her knee which she has stroking absent-mindedly. Bane hissed softly when he saw Amara and toothless.

"Today's the day... Let's get something quick for breakfast and head out, ok?" She said softly once she had their attention.

"Hmm, yeah." Rox said, slowly getting up though bane seemed to pout but followed her as she headed out.

Amara was confused as they headed downstairs. "What's with Bane? He seems to be pouty." She noticed as she worked on making something quick, asking Toothless to heat a plate as she quickly made something for breakfast, with enough that her parents would have some, too, as Toothless ate a couple fish for a light breakfast himself.

"He was just enjoying himself. He'll snap out of it." Roxanna explained as she sat down.

Amara nodded, grabbing the right mix of foods for Bane, as Roxanna had told her what seemed like ages ago now, and gave it to the Deathsong as they sat down to eat. Toothless' head tilted as he watched the girls, and an hour before Hiccup was even rousing from sleep, they snuck out and, with Amara in his saddle, took off.

"Will they be mad that you left before they were up?" Roxanna asked as they flew. Bane seemed to be enjoying the brisk morning flight and was playing around as Roxanna just sat.

"They only would be if I hadn't left breakfast for them... One of the only things that makes dad angry is having to suffer through Mum's cooking." Amara said, Toothless "laughing" with a cooing, grunting soft roar. Amara then twitched her foot, opening Toothless' tail a bit more to allow the dragon a bit of competitive speed, which had Toothless give Bane a look of friendly competitive challenge before speeding up a bit.

Bane snorted in response, a large goofy grin on his face as he sped up too. "I see... they do say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach so I can imagine that would be annoying." Roxanna called back over the noise of the wind rushing by.

Amara nodded, smiling as they drew close, twitching in the tail, urging Toothless into a dive to land. Toothless grinned his gummy grin that he had when he felt safe as he and Bane landed outside the cave almost in unison, letting the girls off and following them in. The egg was audibly rocking in the nest when they arrived. "We're in time... might want to stand back a bit... dragon eggs do explode when they hatch, might be safer." She said with an audible smile.

Roxanna waited by the edge of the cave with bane, leaving this to her. Last thing she needed was another dragon following her.

Amara watched cautiously as the egg hatched, moving forward as the newly hatched Tiny Tooth Thunderdrum shook it's egg shell off it's head.

Roxanna stood in silence, listening to the tiny crack and crunch of the egg cracking and breaking open to reveal the baby within. Bane tilted his head and he hissed softly.

Amara watched as the little Thunderdrum opened it's eyes after shaking the shell remnants off it's head. She was pleased to see it offer trust when she extended her hand as well.

Roxanna daren't hardly breathe so she wouldn't draw attention to herself while they bonded.

Amara smiled. This little one had a midnight purple body, with interestingly, light blue spots, and a white underbelly. When the dragon allowed her to examine it fully, Amara smiled again. "It's a girl... she's just so adorable and sweet..." She said to Roxanna as the little dragon climbed up into Amara's lap when she sat down, the young Viking taking the bucket of fish nearby and carefully feeding the baby one.

"Sweet. She should mature quicker but have stronger instincts." Roxanna said, smiling slightly. Bane fidgeted beside her and hissed something to Roxanna, who nodded, then slowly moved closer to Amara to look at the baby.

Roxanna was proved right about the stronger instincts as the baby did what she could, expanding her body and flapping her wings, to try to defend Amara. Amara soothed her. "Easy, now... he's a friend..." She said, gently stroking a spot along the infant's spine that the little dragon apparently enjoyed.

Bane cooed and nuzzled the baby, using his tongue to clean the baby of the membrane and warming it up. "He'd make a good mum don't you think?" Roxanna chuckled, hearing bane hiss and chatter to the baby.

"Yeah, you're right." Amara said with a smile once the baby tired herself out and fell asleep on her lap. "Only question now is what to name her."

"Well, she is yours. Any ideas?" Roxanna asked while bane fussed over the baby.

"Not really... I mean... Thunderdrums are known for being strong, and even more territorial than even Typhoomerangs or Monstrous Nightmares... on par with Night Furies and Deathsongs in how territorial and loyal they are, actually." She said softly. "Something to show she's female, and something strong..." She said, considering and thinking deeply.

"Tsunami? It's a word from a land further away than mine, that means big wave... not just big but catastrophic. But those people find all aspects of nature beautiful. Even a Tsunami." She said after some hissing from bane.

She blinked. "Like the waves that are so large they can wipe out whole villages? Here, we just call them 'Tidal Waves'. It would fit, though... because it'd also hint at her dragon class... Thunderdrums are Tidal Class dragons." She laid her head on the baby's head until she looked at her. At saying the word Roxanna had suggested, the little dragon let out a soft roar, of the kind that would eventually become a Sonic Blast, her whole body wiggling excitedly. "I think she likes it, Rox. Tsunami it is."

Roxanna shrugged with a charming smirk on her face that was fitting of her grandfather, she'd be a lot more popular with the males especially if she smiled more in general as it naturally looked flirty. "What can I say? I seem to have a way with names." She said, leaning back against the wall smugly.

Tsunami yawned, curling back up as Toothless nosed in, cooing gently at her. Amara smiled softly as Toothless grabbed another, empty bucket from the corner and went down to the cove, coming back with water, making Amara giggle softly. "Dad said Toothless was like that fun, lovable uncle that would do anything to make you smile and keep you healthy when I was a baby... guess Dad was right." She said, noticing Toothless gently splash some water from the bucket onto Tsunami when her skin started to get too dry.

Bane was now starting to spit small blobs of amber and moulding it with his nose and tail, making a waterproof nest that would hold water with space for the baby to crawl onto if it wanted to get out of the water.

Toothless cooed, fetching and emptying water into the "pool' area, so Tsunami would be able to fully submerge to rehydrate her skin, once Bane had finished making it, working with the Deathsong to ensure Tsunami would be comfortable.

"Now she's hatched, what do you want to do?" Roxanna broke the silence as the dragons worked.

"Well, until she's big enough for a saddle, and strong enough to fly with me, we have to keep her hidden... but food could still be an issue... what we managed to get before should last her until Toothless has to go and get used to being away from humans... but it's after that I'm worried about. Has Bane ever 'dove' for fish or other food before, to catch his own?" She asked curiously.

"... No, I don't think so. He eats mostly vegetation so he's never had to." She said thoughtfully. "But I think he could probably learn from watching others."

"I was thinking that if he had, he could help Tsunami learn to hunt for her own food once she's bigger. It'd take some of the pressure off of the food she'd need while keeping her hidden."

"I'm sure he could learn before toothless goes." She mused.

"Maybe ask my Gran if she'd have Cloudjumper teach him? He's the best fishing dragon we have at present... well, most skilled at diving for fish and the like." Amara said with a smile.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan." She agreed.

Amara fed Tsunami again when she woke, as the baby dragon's little tummy audibly growled, and then after Tsunami ate, she went into her "pool". Amara smiled, Explaining so that the Thunderdrum heard her that she had to go out for a while, and Tsunami was to stay there and stay quiet. Toothless helped as well, telling the baby Thunderdrum that there were dangers outside, and until she was strong enough to fend for herself, she had to stay safe. Once they were sure the baby would stay put, they headed out to get their lunch.

Roxanna and bane followed behind. Rox's mind was on the 'threat'. She knew it wasn't exactly her problem and that she could always 'run' away from them. But the question was 'what about the villagers?'. "Amara? You remember Heather saying that those guys were probably interested in Beau Bane. What exactly are they like?" She asked.

"The Dragon Hunters? The worst that Viking kind has... the type I am sure other lands tell of when speaking of our culture. Savage, ruthless, would slit their own mother's throat if they thought it would benefit them... they trap and sell dragons, dead or alive. The most supple Dragon Skin boots come from them... they fatten up and massage oil into the skin of Zipplebacks before killing them... there are many others they enslave or kill... either to sell as exotics, or as false medicine... anything to put gold in their pockets." She said, Toothless letting out a soft roar, snapping his teeth angrily, his back spikes audibly spreading as he got upset. Amara did her best to soothe the Night Fury.

Bane looked at his dragon friend curiously. Surely he wasn't afraid of a few humans was he? Humans are soft, squishy things with no wings that can't swim and are just as bad at flying too without a wooden stick thing. "I see... well, they'll do well to steer clear of us, right boy?" She asked bane who roared happily.

Toothless grumbled and growled, telling Bane of cages that not even Gronkle lava could melt, dragon proof cages, and knives and swords that could pierce even the hide of the Red Death...of arrows that made a dragon as flightless as a human. Yes, he feared them, for these humans would kill others of their own kind if said human sided with dragons.

Bane smirked and explained, in a soft hiss, that his precious was more than capable of defeating anybody who threatened them. He would have to wait and see. Her powers extended far beyond speaking the language of reptiles.

Toothless grumbled, sighing. He hoped Bane was right, because he didn't like to think of what would happen to Amara if she lost her only human friend, though he kept this to himself as they went inside for lunch.

Roxanna sat in her usual seat. Bane was feeling restless with all the talk of a fight. He lay down behind Roxanna's chair and occasionally nudged at her elbow though she batted his snout away as having steam blown on your arm isn't exactly pleasant.

Toothless laid behind Amara grumbling softly. Amara turned to her grandmother and spoke softly to her, explaining that while Roxanna's Deathsong mostly ate vegetation, he could use some help learning to dive for his own fish when he needed them. "Could you have Cloudjumper teach him to do so? It'd be a real help." She said, wearing a hopeful smile as she looked at her gran.

Bane grumbled more. The feeling of unease was growing and, while he still felt confident in her strength, he was worried they'd be found out. His nightmares were plagued with stories Jo had been told as a child, of witch burning and general hatred, fear and hurt towards her kind. He worried about how both sides of Vikings would react towards her secret. Naturally, he'd protect her but he was but one dragon and, should they get on the wrong side of the berkians, one dragon could not fend off the herd of dragons that the villagers had at their disposal. He whimpered and nudged Roxanna's hand. She brushed her fingers across his head. She knew. She'd always assumed since they landed on berk, that this was a very real possibility.

Valka smiled softly at them. "I'm sure Cloudjumper would love to teach Bane how to dive for fish." She turned to Roxanna. "When were you thinking we have them go out for the lessons?" Valka asked Roxanna.

"Bane'll happily go wherever you're ready. Right boy?" She asked him. Bane pouted but growled an agreement.

Cloudjumper understood the reason for the Deathsong's pout. 'Come, Bane. The sooner you learn, the sooner you can protect your human. They think themselves invincible, though they can't fly or breath fire or amber to defend themselves like us... humans need their dragons... always will." He reassured the Deathsong as he lead the way out to see for the fish diving lessons.

'My precious is as close to invincible as they come but I worry... she is letting her heart rule her head of late and becoming reckless.' He hissed.

Cloudjumper nodded. 'Yes, she is gifted... much like Gothi is. Gothi's staff holds her 'gift stick' concealed within. Even the gifted need us, though. It is natural to worry... Do as you must to make her happy and keep her safe.' Cloudjumper replied, slowing to a hover over the ocean, beginning the instruction on diving for fish, starting with finding your target. After that, it was a simple matter of combining flying and swimming with using your mouth to grab your food, or the food you were bringing back. He demonstrated a few times, quite proud when the Deathsong picked it up so fast. By sunset, they were returning, Cloudjumper able to happily graduate his 'student'. Amara had spent the afternoon working on the wool again, and Gobber had even stopped over with a helmet for Roxanna.

"It was a sweet gesture but I don't really understand what I need it for." Roxanna was saying to Amara once Gobber had gone, as she showed her the helmet."And it seems to be a bit big too..." she added, putting it on her head, accidentally backwards.

Amara smiled as she took it off and turned it around. "It was on backwards. It's tradition... everyone, of all ages, ends up waking to a helmet full of small gifts in the morning on Snoggletog. It doesn't have to be one you'd wear." She said softly. "From what you've told me of what you know... the helmets for us are like your tradition's 'Christmas stockings' and you said you don't wear those."

"Oh. Thought he knew something I didn't." She said with a grin at feeling silly. "But... I feel a bit awkward... I mean, I don't have anything for you guys..." she said with a frown.

"It's not the quality of the gift that matters here... it's the thought." She said softly. "Maybe you and Bane could work together on things? Dad still writes a lot, he likes using strong feathers and ink to write, but those are hard to come by here. Mum always needs whetstones for her axes and swords... you gave Toothless his gift the other day... the mud bath discovery." She explained softly.

Roxanna frowned some more, "so... a quill and ink, a sharpening stone and...? What about you?" She asked.

"Honestly? I'd be happy with anything, really... a book of some kind, charcoal and paper or something for sketching out clothing designs." She said softly. "Even Trader Johann doesn't get books that often, says it's harder to find them written in our runes these days."

"If it's so difficult, maybe you should try translating some yourself?" She suggested.

"Do you think I could? I'd possibly need a guide... maybe between our own runes and the written language of your homeland?" She said, her voice hopeful. She was clearly thinking of the book Gothi had given her before.

"Don't see why not. And once I get back home, we can keep in touch and I could help if you get stuck." She smiled.

"I'd definitely be able to send you Terror Mail if I needed help." She said, smiling.

"Sounds like a plan." Roxanna said, putting the helmet aside now.

Bane finally trotted in looking very proud with a fish half flopped out of the side of his mouth. "Well, looks like someone had a successful fishing trip." Roxanna said as bane hissed at her through the corner of his mouth opposite to where the fish was.

Cloudjumper had swooped in and now hung from the ceiling, looking very proud of his student as he proclaimed him fully graduated, and a fellow fishing master.

"So next task is to catch enough to feed and then teach the baby. Think you can handle it?" She asked bane who grinned and nodded furiously.

Amara smiled. "Thank you, Bane. We're counting on you." She said softly.

Bane hissed proudly, a silly grin on his face. "Just don't be cocky... that's how you end up in trouble." Roxanna reminded him. Bane just rolled his eyes.

"Rox is right, Bane. And don't forget about the Dragon Hunters... they wouldn't be after her... they'd be after you."

Bane just stuck his tongue out. He wasn't worried about himself but his precious. Goodness knows what they'd do if they knew. "but it's good that we can rely on at least one dragon to fish for your little one." Roxanna said.

"Yeah, it is. Thank you both for all the help. I'm gonna get started on dinner for us." She said, going out to pick out something to cook for everyone.

"Best behaviour Beau, remember? Just try to be nice." Roxanna scolded him when Amara had gone. Bane let out a hiss, like a deep sigh of slight annoyance. But he knew she was right, and he knew she'd just get angry if he didn't behave. Roxanna went downstairs, taking her new helmet with her. It wasn't anything like her hats back home so, out of curiosity, she put it on a few times and wondering, silently, how she looked in it.

Amara would tell her when she got back that she looked amazing, like she was a native Berkian. The metal was light, but very strong, in fact, it was Gronckle Iron. In addition, the 'horns' made of old bone covered with naturally shed dragon scales, brought to mind those of a deathsong.

"It's like nothing we have at home." Roxanna said, taking it off for the hundredth time and running her fingers over it.

"I think these are a unique part of our own tradition... we've had to fight other tribes for land, livestock... not to mention defend ourselves from dragons for generations before me... it's like armour is a natural part of our garb." Amara said softly, making a pot pie out of chicken and some vegetables for the humans.

"Maybe one day I'll be able to see it for myself. I bet it's incredible." She said thoughtfully.

"Maybe. One can hope." She said, smiling softly as they all settled to dinner. As the girls washed up afterwards, Amara smiled. "Now, when you go to bed, put your helmet, balanced with the opening up, beside your bed. According to our legends, Odin descends in the night to give gifts to the loyal Viking families, all those under the roof of one get their goodies. Gifts between Vikings are exchanged in the evening."

"Oh... you know I don't really believe in the Norse gods right? Or any for that matter..." she said honestly.

She smiled. "I know...but enough of us do that with you living here, it shouldn't matter." Amara said softly. "Sleep well, Rox."

"Good night." She replied, going into the guest room. She doubtful put the helmet as Amara had said. Bane cooed at her. "Yeah, I don't know either boy. But hey, as long as I don't expect anything I won't be disappointed." She said as she got into bed.


	10. With a Flash and a Bang!

There was a helmet full of small gifted goodies next to Roxanna's bed when she woke, as Amara had said. That morning, when they saw each other, Amara smiled. "Happy Snoggletog, Rox!"

"Yeah. ..and to you." She replied in disbelief as bane carried her helmet behind her.

Amara smiled. "You didn't expect it to fill up, huh?" She asked, carrying her own.

"Got to be honest, no I wasn't. I can't remember the last time I was given something that wasn't my school uniform." She said, rubbing her head.

Amara smiled. "I can understand how that might have the effect of doubt." She said softly, sitting down to a breakfast made by her father, as he too wished them a happy Snoggletog.

Roxanna greeted him politely and started eating too. She was trying to focus her mind on what to give everyone but the thought about the troublesome other Vikings kept looming, and with it came the thought of how to get home? She couldn't be sure what day they were on any more either so that raised the question of 'what will happen if I miss school?' She doubted anybody would look for her but she knew she'd be in serious trouble once she got home.

Amara smiled softly, Toothless cooing as well, nudging Rox to wish her a happy Snoggletog in his own way, having done so to the rest of the family by now.

"So, what are you wanting to do today Amara?" Roxanna asked, petting toothless gently.

"I was thinking of hiking out to the cove for a bit. Care to join me? You can stay and figure things out before tonight if you'd rather."

"I think a walk will do me some good." She said, brushing her hair back.

"Alright, sounds good." Amara said. "Dad, we're going down to the cove on foot. If we don't see you before then, we'll meet you at the Great Hall tonight!" Hiccup chuckled, telling the girls to be safe.

Roxanna promised they'd be careful as she followed Amara outside.

Amara smiled softly as they walked down to the cove and the nearby cave. Upon entering, they were almost pinned by Tsunami, her whole body wiggling, and her fish bucket empty by now. Amara giggled. "Guess I underestimated her metabolism." Amara said softly, wetting her hands in the pool before petting the little one to soothe her.

"Perhaps some types grow quicker than others." Roxanna suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." She said softly as Tsunami relaxed, laying her head on Amara's lap, now large enough to not fit her whole body there. "I think she may need to be taught to fish for herself sooner rather than later." She said softly as the young dragon dozed.

"Think you can handle teaching her beau?" Rox asked bane who growled confidently.

Amara got Tsunami looking at her. "Tsunami, it's time for you to learn to fish for yourself. Roxanna's dragon, Beau Bane, is going to be your teacher, so listen to him." Once she was sure the young dragon understood, she turned her over to the Deathsong to teach her.

Bane guided the youngster out towards the water and taught her the same way he'd been taught. "I'm sure they'll do fine." Rox said.

"Yeah, I know. I'll be glad when she reaches the Broad Wing stage... we call different stages of dragon growth by certain names."Amara said, explaining the progression from egg, to Tiny Tooth, to Short Wing, Broad Wing, and finally Titan Wing.

"I see. It makes sense." She replied.

"By the Broad Wing stage, a dragon is strong enough to carry a rider, if they have the size for a human to sit upon them, in flight." She smiled, "In one day... she's reached Short Wing." She said, watching Tsunami diving into the cove to catch food for herself.

"That's pretty impressive then, to grow so quickly." She said, standing beside Amara and listening to the waves and the dragons.

"Yeah, it is at that." Amara said softly.

Once bane was confident that the young dragon had got the hang of it they returned. He'd go out to fish with her a few more times before leaving her it it though.

Amara smiled softly. "I'll be sure to be home in time for the town's Snoggletog dinner in the Great Hall, Rox. I'd like to spend some time on my own with Tsunami, anyway." she said with a soft smile.

"Oh, ok. See you later then." She said with a smile, promptly leaving with bane. Bane cooed as he followed her and nudged her arm with his nose. "I'm fine. We're not to get attached anyway remember? Besides, she just wants alone time. Can't say I blame her." Roxanna told him as she mounted and they took off into the sky.

Amara smiled, gently stroking down Tsunami's back as they watched Rox and Bane fly off. "I hope she likes my Snoggletog gift for her, Tsunami." She said gently to the young Short Wing Thunderdrum.

Roxanna had bane drop her off in a pleasant field. She let him go where he wanted as she just lay back and tried to relax.

Back at the Haddock household, the others in the house, both dragon and human, were working on last minute touches to their gifts for their guests, as well.

When evening came around, Roxanna and bane flew back to the village to see if Amara had arrived back yet.

Amara was in front of the Great Hall with the rest of the village, arms loaded with wrapped gifts. She had 3 gifts ready: One for her mother, one joint for her father and Toothless, and one for Roxanna, shown clearly by the runes she'd put on them. Inside the great hall, each clan, or extended family, within the village had a small tree for gifts to be placed under.

"Not late am I?" She asked as they landed and walked over to Amara.

"No, we gather around the clan trees to exchange gifts before the feast, we're just filing in. Since you've been staying with the Haddocks, that's the tree you'll get your gifts at, alright?" She asked with a bright smile.

"Fair enough, lead the way. Oh, but we'll have to be outside for your gifts." She said as bane chuckled.

"We'll let Dad know about that. The rest of the village won't mind us stepping out, as if for air." She said with a smile. When they were all gathered around, everyone Amara and others got each other was given. Hiccup got a new armour pauldron from Astrid and the joint gift of the new saddle and fin for him and Toothless. Astrid got a new saddle for Stormfly from Hiccup and a new axe from Amara. Roxanna got the Berkian clothes for winter from Amara, a flight helmet from Astrid, and a Gronckle Iron shield from Hiccup.

Roxanna was grateful and quite humble though she wondered to herself, in what instance, would she be expected to use the shield and helmet? Once everyone else had given their gifts, she cleared her throat and tried to get everyone's attention. "Excuse me? Excuse me? Yes... erm... well... you see... since you've all been so kind... I have a little surprise for you all outside. Its nothing exceptional but I hope it's enough of a 'thank you'. So, without further ado, if you'd all please oblige and head outside the hall, I'd be very grateful." She announced nervously.

Everyone smiled, and the village filed outside as Roxanna had asked. Amara explained about the shield and the helmet: the flight helmet would protect her from the biting wind when flying, and the shield could block any arrows or such, and even folded out into a crossbow. "It's a design dad came up with before he and Mum were more than just... dating, I guess?"

Roxanna nodded as she followed everyone outside, a little away from the building. She stood at the back, listening to them mutter about the dark, how they couldn't see the surprise. Then, suddenly, something bright but tiny shot into the sky with a whiz. It popped and sizzled, showering glitter like twinkling flecks. 'Is that it?' A lot of people questioned out loud. Hiccup was the only one to look back at Roxanna who discreetly flicked a finger twice, amazingly, as another two flew up. As they sizzled to nothing, everyone was hooked on watching the sky. Hiccup decided to ask later as he stared at the sky as it was now being lit up by the strange fireworks. Only they weren't the typical ones. These burst into incredible shapes. Flowers, stars, fish, trees, all in beautiful colours. The climax came when a large one burst from the ground as a huge dragon that had plagued berk longer than hiccup had lived until he defeated it. It flew at them with a ferocious roar. Everyone ducked but hiccup raised his hand and touched it's tail. It didn't burn. It didn't hurt. It tickled a little and left dancing sparkles lingering on his fingers for a moment. Another roar behind them came as a tiny silvery dragon exploded from the hall, followed by four others. They chased the huge dragon back past the villagers until it crashed into the ground in the middle of the ground... where a statue of amber was now erect. The five dragons with their tiny riders circled the statue of the haddock family... all five of them... and a familiar dragon too. Hearing the crowd, Roxy wished her charms teacher was there. She'd have aced her charms exam with this.

Upon seeing this whole display, as the rest of the village was watching, their eyes fell on the statue, and as a whole, tears wet the eyes of the Haddock family. Hiccup walked up and hugged Roxanna. "I don't know how you found out what my Dad looked like... or about Thornado... but thank you. The Fireworks... and the statue... this is the best Snoggletog we've had in 16 years... Amara was born one year after we lost my father, Stoick the Vast. Thank you so much."

Roxanna didn't return the hug but stood there quite rigid without any emotions until he let go. "It's nothing honest. Bane asked the dragons what they looked like..."

"It's the best gift you could have given us Roxanna. Thank you." He said again, the happiness and gratitude for such a perfect gift clear in his voice. "Happy Snoggletog, Roxanna." He said softly.

"Yeah, and to you." She replied. "Now can we go back inside? I'm freezing."

"Yeah, let's go in and eat." He said, and everyone returned to the Great Hall, where the clans each gathered around tables, ate a wonderful meal, and had a general good time.

Roxanna was silent throughout the meal. She still wasn't sure exactly how to take the hugs she'd received. The person to last hug her before she'd arrived at Berk had died that night. Needless to say it had left a bitter taste, especially as she'd been blamed.

Hiccup lead the way home afterwards, urging Roxanna to head upstairs and change into Amara's present so they could see how she looked in it.

It took Roxy a while as she wasn't used to wearing it but soon came down dressed in the new clothes. "How does it look?" She asked, a little bit shyly.

Amara and all of the others turned, smiling. "You look beautiful! Just like a native Berkian!" Astrid said, beaming. Amara nodded. "Yeah, and that should keep you much warmer when you're outside around here, too."

"That's great! I was starting to worry I might get frostbite and lose some fingers." She said. Bane chuckled but was happy that they were all happy. He wasn't, however, happy about her little display for the family. He'd talked with her all day, trying to persuade her not to do it for fear of being caught, but she'd done it anyway.

Amara was tired from her long day. "I'm off to bed..." she said, bidding goodnight individually to everyone in the house, human and dragon. After she went to bed, Toothless explained to Bane why Roxanna's gift had meant so much to the family. "Even if she showed that she is gifted... to Hiccup, Astrid, and the rest of the family... that gift she gave us means more... and more than earns her a full quota of respect... as well as a place in the community for good if she wants it." Toothless said, following Hiccup up to bed when he went as well.

Bane watched his precious one as she too went to bed. Toothless didn't know. He spoke of the cruelty from the other Vikings but he didn't know cruelty. True cruelty that caused his precious one to be so untrusting. It came in the form of those who are closest to her. Those who should love her most. Those who should provide for and care for her. Those were the worst. It had been bane who'd cared for her when she was sick. Bane who'd kept her warm when they had locked her, as a tiny child, in the freezing dark and damp cellar under the house or banished her to the leaking, cold shed at the end of the garden. Bane who'd pulled her from the burning house when they had fled. No. His precious one would never show them out of free choice because she knew the pain of going against her family's rules. She wouldn't allow herself to be part of their family because of it.

Toothless was agitated, something Hiccup thought was because of having to use the automated tail again, but was for a different reason. Still, everyone slept through the night, and Toothless let Amara ride him bareback to the cove before following Roxanna to the mud flats afterwards, as they had agreed would happen the day after Snoggletog.

Roxanna made sure he was covered and comfortable before leaving him to bathe. Afterwards she went back to check on Amara and tsunami. "Toothless is settled down. How's things going here?" She asked.

"She's kept herself fed... she hasn't grown as much as yesterday, but..." Amara nodded to the boulder, guiding Roxanna to the gravel that remained. "In the night... she honed her voice. She can use her roar as a Sonic Blast now."

"Oh, nice one. That, in itself, is a pretty impressive sign of maturity." She said.

"Yeah... according to the Book, Thunderdrums get the ability to focus their roar into a Sonic Blast about 3 weeks before they mature to Broad Wing stage."

"So in about 3 weeks time you'll be soaring through the skies, Tsunami." Roxanna said softly.

"Once she reaches Broad Wing... that's when I plan to take her to the village... to meet Mum and Dad, as well as to get a saddle." She said softly.

"That's probably your safest bet. I'm sure they'll love her." Rox said.

"I hope so." Amara said, laughing as Tsunami rubbed against them before going to swim in the cove.

"I don't see how they couldn't. She's such a dear sweet thing." She said softly. "Anyway, change of subject. How do you guys normally deal with those dragon hunting Viking people?" She asked curiously.

"Dad, Snotlout, and Fishlegs usually use their dragons to sink them." Amara answered. "Their arrows are coated with concentrated Dragon Root essence... Gronckles are immune to Dragon Root... and Dad and Snotlout's dragons have the only sets of full-body dragon armour."

"And nobody has considered making any more considering they seem to be such a threat?" She asked.

"Oh, we have... but the problem is after making two full sets of armour from Gronckle Iron, we started to run low... we still had to replace armour and weapons from a destroyed armoury for when others attack us normally... there are some Viking Villages that pillage others, because the islands they settled weren't as fertile as Berk is... nor have they been able to stop fighting dragons." She said softly as Tsunami glided down, nuzzling Amara, sensing this topic made her sad. "We still have plenty of Limestone and Sandstone... but our own mine of iron ran dry... the next nearest vein is on Armourwing Island, and the Armourwing needs that. The recipe for Gronckle Iron is one part Sandstone, one part Limestone, one part Iron Ore, and one part Gronckle Lava. Basically, you feed a Gronckle a rock that's of those 3 different types, then tickle it with a feather to encourage it to turn them into a lava shot, and when it cools, you have pure Gronckle Iron."

"So you just need more iron. Doesn't seem to difficult if you used a metal detector... maybe even a magnet would help or, if you could train the armourwing to help you find it. Failing that I'm certain there's plenty of sunken ships around here too." She suggested.

"I've heard of magnets, but not of the first thing you mentioned...but taming and training the Armourwing could be a great help. Thanks, Rox." Amara said softly.

"If I knew more about them then I would tell you. But all I know is its like a machine that beeps when it detects metal close by. Like divination." She said.

"A machine... that helps find metal... like a dowsing rod does water?" She asked for clarification.

"Yeah. Something like that." She nodded.

Amara nodded in turn. "Well, The Armourwing or maybe Ruffnut's Scaldron friend, Scaldy, would be our best bets... though most of our ships are mostly wood, with metal accents."

"Some metal would be better than none. And I dare say it'd keep a few troublemakers out of mischief." She said.

Amara giggled. "Yeah, and Ruffnut and her twin brother, Tuffnut, are the biggest troublemakers in the village, more so than even the others my age... they dedicated their lives to Loki, so..."

"...Loki?" Roxanna asked looking confused, having never heard of him before.

"The god of pranks and tricksters." She explained. "Brother to Thor, god of Lightning, and son of Odin, King of our Gods. Also Father to Fenrir, the evil wolf who could kill other gods when Ragnarök comes."

Roxanna smirked, "Sounds like someone I'd like." She chuckled. "I have a certain... way... if you like, with members of the canine family." She added.

"That sounds interesting, to say the least." Amara said with a grin.

"Reptiles, canines, they all seem to like me." She grinned.

"That's really cool... though we more have a... porcine problem in the woods here on Berk than canine." She said softly. "We have an over-population of boars... they've gotten so vicious they drove off or killed the wolves, and not many of the common dragons like pork."

"Seriously? I've never heard of that before, especially considering that the wolf is a natural predator to the boar." She said.

"Yeah, seriously. The wolves swam off between ice packs a few days before you washed up on shore."

"Well... how would everyone feel about them coming back?" She asked.

"Strangely, a lot better. The wolves actually had a positive effect... when the wolf population fell, the boars boomed more, and... well, let's just say that the forest isn't the haven for those without friends in the village that it used to be." Amara said honestly. "But if we can't get the boars down to a level where the wolves can retake their territory, I doubt they'd stay."

"Well... maybe Loki'll grant your wish for mischief and the table will turn." She smiled, shrugging slightly. She obviously didn't get their beliefs 100% but she was trying and was keen so it was probably best to not correct her. If she wanted to believe they thought that the gods granted wishes like muggles believe fairies do then why not?

Amara giggled. "Who knows? Well... we should get home... without Toothless, Dad will be lonely, too." Amara said softly. As they headed home, she frowned. "I wonder why Thor gets so angry at metal?"

"...Excuse me?" Roxanna asked a little lost.

"Just a story Dad tells. Apparently, they made metal dragon perches one summer, and a metal statue of Thor to try to appease his anger. Thor got angry at the metal, and we had lightning storms, the manifestation of Thor's Anger, over Berk for weeks, until Dad realized it was the metal and not Toothless Thor was angry at." Amara explained. "We never figured out why Thor gets so angry at metal, though."

"Well... maybe it's unintentional? I mean, Metal naturally attracts electricity. So... I don't know... maybe he's aiming at something else? Or maybe its a warning? I mean, there's a great saying we have back home; Its always darkest before the dawn. So perhaps its a reminder that while its all nice and peaceful, you shouldn't forget the difficulties you've served in the past?" she suggested. "Or maybe there was a goddess of metal... or a blacksmith's daughter he fell in love with but couldn't have... goodness knows, they are gods after all."

"True, it could be any number of things...I guess the only ones who know are the great warriors like grandfather, who earn their way into Valhalla."

"Well if I ever meet them, I'll be sure to ask... and kick his ass if it turns out it was over a woman. Like, seriously, grow up, so many people have it worse." she chuckled, joking.

Amara giggled, able to get her mind off that old story at last.

When they arrived back home Hiccup was looking fed up and pretty much bored. He was keeping himself busy but didn't really talk much, even when he noticed they were back.

Amara got a look of sympathy in her eyes at seeing her dad like that. "Dad?" She said, opening her arms to give him some comfort. "Do you want to cook dinner with me, like we used to? I know you're probably remembering how it was with Toothless that first Snoggletog together, the last time he used that tail."

"Yeah... that'll be nice..." he said, his voice hoarse as though he was choking up again. God help him if the Night Fury died first, was all that Roxanna could think as she went to sit down, out of the way.

"He's tough, Dad. He's a fighter, the Blue Alpha. He'll come back, leading that pod to the stables, I know it." She reassured her father, helping him in making one of his favourite meals.

Roxanna listened to them but stayed silent. All Hiccup could do was nod in agreement.

"Toothless became the Blue Alpha to protect you, you and Gran always told me that, Dad... he wouldn't abandon you." she told him softly. "You're more than a best friend to Toothless, Dad... I can tell he sees you as a brother."

"I know... I just miss him." he uttered sadly. "Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it... White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise. For it is the unknown we fear when we face death and darkness, nothing more. " Roxanna recited calmly. Hiccup glanced over at her in slight annoyance. "Didn't you know? Besides. He's not dead. Just recuperating... or visiting that horrid mother in law we all hate." she added making hiccup smile a little. "I guess." he agreed.

Amara smiled, nodding. "He'll come home, Dad. He always comes home. We're his family." She said softly as they served her father's favourite dish.

"But what if he decides to stay with them instead?" hiccup asked. "What if they don't accept him? Trust me. Either way, he'll be coming home. Night Furies always return to the home of their parents... that's why they travel so much." Roxanna explained.

Amara smiled, hugging her dad. "It'll be ok, Dad. Rox is right." She said, smiling. "Let's have dinner, ok?"

Hiccup nodded and they were soon sat down eating dinner. It was a sombre affair but everyone knew the reasoning so said nothing of the matter. Roxanna helped clean up afterwards as Hiccup and Astrid went up to bed first.

Amara sighed, wishing there was a way to help her dad to feel better. But the time passed much the same. Amara still took care of Tsunami as she grew over the following weeks, also doing what she could to help her father cope and even staying up late to work on the cloth for the outfit she'd promised Roxanna.

During this time, though nobody seemed to notice, the boar population had dwindled to a minimum and the wolves had returned. Nobody noticed until Amara noticed the sudden and random increase in pork being cured and kept in the store. When asked, Roxanna just shrugged and suggested that Loki was to do with it and that Amara must have wished hard... after all, Loki had a wolf for a son so must be able to empower the wolves themselves right?... there was little use fighting this logic and so the weeks passed peacefully.

On the day that Tsunami finally shed her skin the last time, and matured to Broad Wing, there was a distant Night Fury call heard, and many answering ones. Amara prayed in her heart all would go well as she prepared to introduce Tsunami to her parents.

Naturally the two were gob smacked. They'd had no idea that Amara was raising a dragon and were worried about where she'd got it. Roxanna soon cleared it up though, explaining what had happened and telling them that she'd insisted that Amara do it. She was also quick to point out what a great job Amara had done and how proud they must be as her parents. Hiccup nodded, smiling at his daughter.


	11. Final flight

They immediately went to Gobber's saddlery and dentistry with Tsunami, and had her fitted and saddled. Amara, with her own dragon, was finally able to fly alongside the rest of the riders in the village, something that made her heart soar as well. Even Elder Gothi was proud of the girls. However, even this small happiness didn't last as the lookout near the "thunder ear" called out. "Chief Hiccup! Dragon Hunters! We have an Armada coming this way! Dragon Proof Cages, Amber-resistant hulls... and armed to the teeth! What should we do?"

Bane looked at Roxanna and hissed in a worried way. Roxanna just pulled a face and listened to Amara, beside her. If she moved, Roxy would go too. Whenever there was a rush of people around her, she did this. It was the only way she could guarantee she wouldn't be crushed or worse, in the way.

"Rox... do you have any ideas as to how we can drive them off? Vikings, especially those like the Dragon Hunters, are very superstitious."

Roxanna shrugged and bane sighed in relief, thinking his precious wasn't going to get involved. "A sneak attack might work... like, let them land, make it look like the place is completely empty and, just as they let their guard down, chase them off or something?" She shrugged.

"If what Heather said is true... they're probably after Bane..." Amara said softly. "Still, it might be worth a shot. Maybe we should tell Dad about the idea?"

"It's your home so it's your call." She said.

"My home, yes...but your idea. I think we should tell dad before they get too much closer."

"Then, by all means, tell him." She said.

Amara nodded, urging Roxanna to stay close to her and Tsunami as they made their way over to her dad, telling him Rox's idea, and being sure to give Rox the credit for it as well.

Hiccup wasn't keen at all but looked at Amara, with a dead straight face. "How do you feel about it?" He asked. Roxanna could tell by his tone that he didn't want to go through with this.

"I know it's risky, but it may be the only way to scare the Dragon Hunters off for good, Dad. You've been dealing with chasing them off for more than twenty years, and they keep coming back. If we can scare them off for good, we'll be able to protect our dragons, and the peace we've forged with them." She said, her face as straight as his.

"If you're sure then we'll give it a try." He said before giving the orders out.

With all the fires out, and everyone hidden, the village really did look abandoned as Viggo Grimborn walked into the village square.

The hunters walked through the eerie village until they spotted something move on on a roof top. At this they all paused and aimed their arrow at the strange girl there. "Speak, Wench! Where are the others?" Viggo demanded. Roxanna smiled. "Others? There are none like me. I hail from the halls of the gods on behalf of my husband. He is most displeased with your disgraceful behaviour on his beloved island of Berk. Most displeased. So he has sent me to right the wrong you have caused." She said, pretending to look at her nails in a careless way. Viggo growled and the hunters released the arrows at her. Roxanna raised her hand and, mostly because of a sudden gust of wind, the arrows missed their mark. As this happened, the burkians sprang forward to attack. It caught them completely off guard. But, during the fray, Viggo managed to get the better of hiccup. "If you want to see him alive again, you'll deliver that black deathsong!" Viggo threatened as the hunters retreated.

Amara's heart was in her throat, and even Tsunami was distressed at her rider's distress. She had been fighting at her mother's side through the battle when her father was taken. She looked toward her friend, her distress and plea for help in her wordless cry. She had persuaded her father to follow this course... she only hoped Roxanna could help with the untold portion of her plan. The whole time she'd known Rox, she'd always had another idea.

Roxanna was frowning, clearly in deep thought. Astrid was beside herself and called an emergency village meeting. Roxanna caught Amara's wrist though and pulled her to one side. At some point that evening she'd put her cloak on and now stood with the hood up, almost completely hiding her face. "I have a plan. But in order for it to work I need you to gather everyone to the cove and, in exactly half an hour, I need you all to howl like a wolf... think you can manage it?" She asked.

Amara nodded. "Yeah, I think I can get that done, Rox. Take care." She said, grasping her friend's arm in what she'd taught her was the Viking way to show support and the hope of the blessing of the gods.

Roxanna smiled in her charming way, "If I don't come back then presume everyone is dead because it's all or nothing and I refuse to lose." She said as she hopped onto Banes's back. The deathsong cooed sadly to Amara as they took off into the nights sky as, during the fighting, the sun had long since set. Meanwhile, in the great Hall, Astrid was trying to stop panic from breaking out and trying to persuade them that sacrificing Roxanna to the gods won't help anyone even if they would feel a bit better afterwards.

Amara came up to her mother, explaining that Roxanna's plan had more stages... they needed to howl like wolves from the cove, though for what reason she was unsure. She made sure to remind her mother and the others in the village that it was thanks to Roxanna that Gothi had found her voice again, and that Amara had a dragon of her own. In the end, they all agreed to follow this plan, and made it down to the cove with plenty of time to prepare for the imitated wolf-song.

While Amara had struggled to convince them, Roxanna had flown to a nearby island where the hunters had landed. She landed and sent bane back. For several minutes she just listened before walking forwards into the clearing, surprising the hunters who cambered for their weapons. But Roxanna just raised her hand, uttering something under her breath, and caused all of the weapons to fly far behind their users. "Do not insult me, mortal scum! I am Joanna Black, Heir to the Black Clan of Scotland! I am Loki's bride. Do not push me for I shall have no mercy. I will grant you but one chance: free the one called 'Hiccup Haddock', he is of great interest to my beloved husband. If you refuse then I shall have to unleash Fanrir upon your forsaken souls." She said in a booming voice. From his cage, hiccup watched helplessly, wondering what on earth she was doing but also wishing he could help but, as an extra precaution, they'd removed his artificial limb. He was helpless. Viggo laughed and started towards her, "You threw away my axe but my hands will make short work of you!" He chuckled. "I'm sorry you feel that way..." Roxanna said, stepping back into the darkness. The instant she was hidden an ominous howl that sounded like a thousand wolves echoed across the sea, it made the men hesitate and step back. A second later a huge dire wolf leaped out with a vicious growl that had the men running, scrambling to get away. The wolf sniffed at the ground until it found hiccups cage. Before his eyes, the wolf melted away, leaving Roxanna behind. She held the lock in her hand, pointed her finger at the hole and whispered 'Alohamora'. At this point the lock clicked and swung open. "Hurry... we've no time to spare." She said, pulling his arms around her neck. In a moment he was hugging a sitting wolf. Slowly it stood up, having made sure hiccup was on its back, then ran towards the sea and leapt straight in. The water was freezing and bit at hiccups skin so he knew she must have been feeling it worse as she swam through the waves towards the beach where the villagers were waiting.

Amara was relieved when they made it to shore. She was shocked to see her father on the back of a massive wolf, but to her eyes, there was a familiar cloudiness to this wolf's eyes, and she guessed the truth as her father slid down, Astrid bringing him one of his 'spare' artificial legs.

With everyone gathered around hiccup, Roxanna shifted back into her human form and stood silently where she was; with her feet still in the water, soaked to the skin, listening carefully for the first hint of anger from the mob.

Instead of anger, a cheer was raised, and everyone gathered around to hug her and congratulate her on a well executed plan. Hiccup smiled. "Elder Gothi was right in her advice. I'm glad we trusted you. Thanks to your skills, you have proven yourself to be a Viking at heart... you've driven away the Dragon Hunters from Berk for good." He stood tall. "The clans are but part of the tribal family. As chief, I welcome you into the Hooligan tribe." He said, taking a turn to hug her. "Welcome to the family, Jo." He whispered to her, showing her they accepted her for who she was.

Her cheeks turned pink and she closed her eyes, letting those around her hug her. "So... I'm not in trouble?" She asked with a slight grin.

"Of course not. It was a reckless plan, but we're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard." Hiccup said with a bright smile. "Of course, now that you're a member of the Hooligan tribe... you do have to make a choice as to what Clan you wish to be associated with. Elder Gothi, though not a Haddock by birth, has always been associated with our clan. She's been like a grandmother to me. A kind, but strict, grandmother, who's not afraid to knock some sense into you when you're being a blockhead." He said with a chuckle.

"Clan...? You mean...?" Roxanna asked, getting a bit choked up. "Family, Roxanna. Family." Astrid said with a smile. The word was like a trigger. Once it sunk in that she'd been completely accepted the tears started flowing. She couldn't make them stop as she sobbed, her new found family still embracing her. "I'm sorry... but while she might be an honorary Haddock and Hooligan, she's still my granddaughter." Gothi spoke up, making her way to the middle of the group. "And I expect that unless we send you off soon, Joanna Black, you'll be late for the start of school." She added. Roxanna looked up at her after struggling to dry her face with her wet sleeve. But her reply wasn't the one they were expecting. "Will I look like you when I'm older? Because it's pretty horrific." She said, staring straight at Gothi. It would have been expected for Gothi to tap her great granddaughter sharply on her head... but she didn't. Instead she started laughing... and crying. Tears of happiness as she embraced the girl. The strange mist had lifted from her eyes as the curse had been lifted. She'd found her family, her home, there was no longer a need for her deceased mother to protect her from the horrors of her family. Roxanna, or rather Joanna, could see, for the first time since a few months old.

Amara smiled. "Well, we should give her a proper send-off, yes?" Amara asked. "And it is late, Elder Gothi... can sending her off wait until morning?" She asked softly, needing this last night to spend with her friend and now, sister before she departed.

"I don't see what harm will come from it." Gothi replied kindly.

Amara smiled softly. "Thank you, Elder Gothi." She said, holding her hand out to Joanna. "Let's go home for the night... one last family meal before you depart for school, sister?" She asked with a bright smile.

"Yeah... sure thing Amara." She agreed, leaving the group with the girl, the older villagers watching them fondly.

As the girls headed back to the village there was a loud Shrieking noise that was familiar to Amara as the stars were blotted out. Toothless came soaring in, a whole pod of Night Furies following him, looking at the girls and following villagers warily, but trusting one of their own.

"What...?" Joanna started asking. She obviously recognised the cry but had obviously never seen them for herself before.

Toothless cooed, nudging her with his head and looking into her eyes. Amara smiled. "Toothless came home... with the whole pod of Night Furies with him... they must have accepted him, right?" She said to Jo.

"Yeah... must have done. Clever boy." She smiled, rubbing his forehead. "They'll probably head back towards England tomorrow. If so, Bane and I'll ride on their tail wind." she said to Amara.

"You'll get back in time for school." Amara said softly. "You should bond with one of the Terrors tonight... whichever one you do, I can borrow to send you a Terror Mail for communication later on." She said softly, as Toothless showed the pod, including a female who seemed rather fond of him, to the stables while the girls headed into the house. Amara worked on making dinner, and let Jo look at the Book of Dragons while she did so. "The mature females have extensions on their tail wings..." Amara commented. She then frowned. "After you and Bane leave for school, I'll miss you, Jo..." She said softly.

"I can write to you as often as you like... You don't seem to have the same sort of schools here as we do back home. My school is like... well... a boarding school. Basically, I live there with all the other students and teachers and only go home, if I want to, during the holidays except for over summer when we have 6 weeks off and have to go home. Basically, I didn't want to go home and got lost instead. That's how we ended up out here." She explained. "But because I live in all the time with no travel except to and from class, I can write to you pretty much every day. Maybe I could even come and visit during Christmas and such." she added.

Amara smiled. "That would be nice. You'll always be welcome here, Jo." Amara promised. "I'll be sure to bring you your dress robes as soon as they're ready." She promised. "Wear your flight helmet and your Berk Clothes during the flight... it'll keep you protected, ok?" She said, hugging her as the meal was served, and Toothless flew in to have his dinner. Hiccup was overjoyed to see Toothless again, and the feeling was mutual, with how the Night fury kept licking him after dinner.

"Yeah, I will. Once I'm back at school I'll be able to send you all sorts of things you can't get here." She smiled. "And who knows? Maybe I'll be able to get you a set of your own robes for Christmas." She said.

"That would be good. Be sure to send us a letter a few weeks beforehand, so we know the timing and can set up the holiday for when you get home." Amara said softly. They went to bed pretty late, the girls getting their goodbyes settled away. Morning arrived all too soon.

Joanna was like a whole new person now she could see. Everything was exciting and she smiled a lot more too. Bane wasn't entirely impressed but still encouraged her along. "It's going to be spectacular, flying back out there!" She said, thrilled as she packed up the saddle bag that Gobber had made for Banes's saddle. "If toothless is coming back here anyway, you could use him to fly out half way with us if you like?"

Amara had, with her father's approval, already saddled Toothless up with his new saddle and tail fin. "Yeah, we'll accompany you out a bit." She said softly, swinging into the saddle. "Ready when you are." She said softly.

Jo got on board bane, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Ready boy?" She asked him softly. Bane hissed happily and, as the pod of Night Furies flew past, he took to the sky to follow them out towards the sea.

Toothless took off with a soft roar, Amara helping him flawlessly now that she knew exactly how. Around Berk, at home, she'd work with Tsunami, but it was fun to fly alongside her sister on the dragon that had protected her as a young child.

They didn't speak as they flew but just enjoyed the ride. When berk was but a dot on the horizon behind them, Joanna turned to Amara. "Next time I visit, you'll have to show me all of Berk again, now I can see... but you two should head back. I'll write as soon as I land." She promised.

Amara slowed Toothless to hover for a moment, reaching out and clasping arms with Joanna. "I'll reply as soon as I can. I have to get to work on your dress robes. The design and colours matching Bane's colours, like we spoke of last night... with both the Haddock and Black Family crests." She said with a smile. "Take care, sister. May Odin bless your journey."

"I don't need Odin to watch over me, I have Loki." she laughed."Fare you well also in all you do! and remember, Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus." She laughed. Bane hissed and rolled his eyes at toothless in an apologetic way for what his Precious one said.

Toothless let out the cooing-cough sound that Amara had explained was his laugh, not taking offence. "I will, Jo...remember that we'll be waiting for word back home!" she reminded her as the girls separated, Amara taking Toothless home as Bane and Jo headed off for the school.

Jo watched them until bane hissed at her, they had to go less they be left behind by the pod. She sighed, knowing he was right, and they sped home, towards England, and bonnie Scotland, and the place she called home, safe in the knowledge that her other home was now waiting behind her with the doors always open to her.


End file.
